Double Dose of Angels
by DontKnowMyName
Summary: A Rescue mission gone wrong leaves Sam injured and the brothers with the responsibility of five-year-old twin girls who share a surprisingly strong connection to Sam that goes well beyond the loss of their parents.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**This story is for the lovely _Gidgetgal9_ who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership_ in recognition of Kim Manners. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_ and _blueeyedliz_ for their support and beta and thanks to _Gidgetgal9 _for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Warnings/Spoilers:**Minor character death and spoilers for End of Season 1 and Early Season 2. Does hurt Sam need a warning?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own.

**Summary:** A Rescue mission gone wrong leaves Sam injured and the brothers with the responsibility of five-year-old twin girls who share a surprisingly strong connection to Sam that goes well beyond the loss of their parents.

~*~*~

Of all the days Dean could have chosen, Sam should have known it'd be the hottest day of the entire year.

For the past few months there has been an ever growing rift between him and Dean. The slightest thing turned into a full blown argument these days.

Sam knew Dean was only looking for an excuse to kick his ass today, after yet another pointless fight. The fact that it was so hot outside only added to Sam's punishment.

All of his protests had fallen on deaf ears and Dean couldn't even compromise by waiting till evening. No. They had to be outside, hidden behind their current motel, sparring in the heat of summer.

Definitely not how Sam wanted to spend his day and he was quite aware that Dean knew it.

"Come on, Sammy, look alive!" Dean bounced a bit on his feet with the energy of a five year old and Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes. "The sooner you get with it, the sooner I can kick your ass."

"This is ridiculous, Dean." Despite knowing it would get him nowhere, Sam continued to voice his displeasure just for the heck of it. "It's like a hundred and twenty degrees out here."

"Since when are you scared to sweat a bit?"

"I'm more afraid of heat stroke."

He twisted the cap off his water, surprised that it was still pretty cold, as Dean glared at him with obvious annoyance. Taking a quick sip of his water, sure to save some for when he'd need it most, he threw the bottle back to the ground and turned toward his brother.

"You finished bitching?" Dean didn't even wait for him to reply before throwing the first punch.

Luckily, Sam's reflexes kicked in and he easily ducked away from the punch, throwing a right hook at the same time. Dean just as easily picked up on his move and blocked it, throwing another punch of his own. They were in full sparring mode now.

Sam was never too great at this part of their training, and despite the height difference, Dean could take him down rather easily. Put him up against anything or anyone else and Sam could just as easily win the fight, but he never could against Dean.

He liked to think it was just because he was afraid of hurting his brother, but he knew that wasn't the real reason. Dean could take down just about any opponent and while that fact often made Sam feel safe it also annoyed him when he was the opponent.

Sam rolled his eyes again when Dean paused for a second to rip off his sweaty t-shirt but not long after Sam was shedding his own. Both he and Dean were drenched, but neither willing to give in and call it quits; not till at least one of them goes down.

Having enough of the lame punches being thrown, Sam threw his leg out, catching Dean in the knee and nearly sending the older brother to the ground. Dean was quick to readjust his stance and growled slightly at the unfair move.

"You wanna play dirty, Samuel?"

Sam knew things were going to get rough now and if he was being truthful, the use of his full name definitely frightened him a bit. Dean was a force to be reckoned with when he got angry, especially when sparring.

Before Sam could even see it coming, Dean lunged forward, knocking Sam to the ground and pinning Sam's right arm behind his back.

Sam gasped as the wind was knocked out of him with the hard fall but he snapped back in time to elbow Dean in the ribs, hard enough to force his brother to release him. Dean reacted to the pain for only a second before throwing himself back at Sam and successfully pinning him to the ground again.

Just as Sam was about to counterattack, he heard Dean's cell phone start ringing, thankful for a reason to end their tiring battle.

He smiled at Dean's groan but regretted it when his brother pushed him to the ground, harder than necessary, as Dean got up to get the phone.

"You're lucky, Bitch."

"This mean's I won." He rubbed at his arm as he picked himself up and grabbed his discarded shirt.

"The hell it does!" The look on Dean's face had him nearly falling back to the ground with laughter. "You had a face full of dirt. That automatically makes me the winner."

Before Sam could say anything else, Dean answered the phone with a cocky grin and Sam glared at his brother for a few seconds before moving closer to hear the conversation. He couldn't make out the voice on the other end but just by the way Dean addressed the person, he knew it was Bobby.

He mentally thanked Bobby for once again saving him, though he wasn't exactly in danger, he was still glad the elder hunter always knew the right time to call.

"What's going on?" Sam wiped the sweat from his forehead with his shirt and then tugged the already damp material back over his head.

When he looked back over toward Dean, his brother was holding up a silencing hand and if Sam had any energy left, he's pretty sure he would have broken it. He hated being silenced.

Dean always told him he acted like a child sometimes and while usually it would piss him off, he had to admit that he was definitely acting like one now. If Dean wasn't on the phone Sam was sure his brother would have been laughing at the way he stomped his foot and walked away.

He didn't care at the moment though. He reached down and picked up his water bottle, swallowing nearly half of the warm water in one gulp before picking up his brother's shirt and slowly walking back toward Dean.

Sam handed Dean the shirt and growled when his brother grabbed the water bottle as well, "Get your own, jerk!"

Of course Dean didn't listen and Sam threw a pretty hard punch as Dean sucked down the rest of the water. He smirked when Dean choked slightly on the water but then his brother handed him the empty bottle with another cocky grin and Sam's triumph quickly faded.

"Alright we'll be there." Dean ended the call and finally turned toward Sam who was waiting very impatiently for an explanation.

"That was Bobby?" Sam asked, making sure his assumption was correct, as he followed Dean back toward their motel room.

"Yeah…"

"What'd he want?"

"Our help…"

"With what?"

"Are you five?"

Sam stared at Dean in confusion when his brother stopped in front of their door until he realized Dean was referring to his excessive questioning. He couldn't help it though, being kept out of the loop always made him anxious.

"If you would just tell me what's going on I wouldn't have to ask." He rounded his shoulders and stood straighter as if to make a point. "What does Bobby need our help with?"

"A friend of Bobby's, Dave Mason, was on a hunt and he ran into a bit of trouble."

Sam watched as Dean pushed the door open and headed right to the first bed, plopping down on top of the rumpled sheets. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds, trying to figure out where he knew that name from until it finally hit him.

"He was a friend of Dad's too, right?" He sat down in one of the chairs near the tiny table and waited till Dean nodded. "So what happened?"

"Dave was hunting a demon in Missouri and apparently he got a little too close to killing it."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Sam saw the anger in Dean's eyes as his brother dug through the duffle beside him. "The damn thing snatched his kids then skipped town."

Now Sam understood the anger.

Another thing Dean would never admit was his big soft spot for kids, add to that, children of a hunter who were taken by a demon. Sam knew Dean was going to find the thing and try to kill it in the least humane way possible, though humane probably doesn't apply to demons.

"Does Bobby have any leads on where it skipped off too?"

"He's tracked some electrical storms out in Minnesota, thinks the thing might have headed north." Dean pulls out a clean change of clothes, shoving the sweaty shirt back into the duffle before turning back toward Sam. "We get cleaned up then we head out."

Sam didn't even bother arguing as Dean stormed off into the tiny bathroom he just sighed and headed over to his own bed. He dug out a change of clothing for himself and then took a seat on the mattress.

He'd been hoping for just a small break, actually believing that the sparring was Dean's way of saying they could take the day off, but he should have known better. It's not that he blamed Dean because he was all for catching a demon, especially one messing with another family.

If Mason was anything like John Winchester then they were going to have their hands full. Sam couldn't imagine what their father would have been like if something had snatched Dean and him, but he knew it wouldn't have been pretty. If their father even thought something looked at them funny, the thing was dead within seconds.

Sam wondered if Mason's kids even knew what their father did, if they had similar training that he and Dean had. He figured most hunters tried to keep their children out of the loop, his father had tried it with him, but now Sam was glad they were trained, glad they'd get the chance to help another family.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the bathroom door opened and Dean walked out, the steam following. Sam rolled his eyes as he headed in for his own showering, knowing full well that he would be taking a cold one, which would be fine if he hadn't been hoping to loosen his tight muscles.

"Meet ya out in the car, Sam." Dean sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his boots before he grabbed Sam's duffle bag. "I want to hit the road within the hour so hurry up."

"Please," Sam threw up his middle finger when he reached the bathroom door. "It won't take me that long, Dean."

"Well you are kind of girly."

Sam slammed the door behind him, shutting out the loud laughter from his brother but he was smiling to himself as he climbed into the shower, letting the water wash away any of the doubts he had. They were going to save those children because they most certainly were not letting another family be ruined by a demon.

~*~*~

By the time they reached Minnesota Dean was a bundle full of nerves.

He had hoped they'd make good time, but of course luck was never on their side, having hit every possible traffic jam in the Midwest. They were rushing the clock once again and Dean didn't want to waste time that should be spent finding the kids but now they were definitely behind.

They pulled into an old abandoned gas station and Bobby was already there, standing at the trunk of his car with another man, whom Dean presumed to be Mason.

"Hey boys," Bobby clapped him and Sam on the shoulder as they made their way toward the two older men. "Thanks for coming on such short notice."

Dean nodded and looked to Sam, thinking his brother would do the talking but instead Sam simply held a hand out toward Mason with a sad smile. Obviously, Dean wasn't the only one putting a connection between their family and the Masons.

Mason looked at Sam for a moment, staring at the kid's offered hand and Dean was starting to think the guy was going to reject their help until he reluctantly shook Sam's hand. If the situation weren't so grim, Dean would have probably laughed at the way his brother introduced himself but he had to give Sam credit for breaking the ice.

Mason continued to stare at Sam, his eyes slowly following up to Sam's face and Dean knew exactly what was coming next.

"I knew you when you were barely knee high." The older man laughed but clapped Sam's hand in both of his, the tension thankfully removed and Dean couldn't help but snicker himself.

"He went through a bit of a growth spurt." Dean held out his own hand and Mason turned toward him with a smile as he released Sam.

"I'd say." The man holds onto Dean's hand a bit longer, their eyes meeting for a few moments and Dean starts to feel slightly awkward. "I really appreciate you boys helping me out. Your dad taught you both well and I could really use the help."

"Well, he didn't have many friends," Dean felt the pang in his heart at the mention of his father but he hide it with a smile. "But he never was one to let them down."

"He was a good man."

"Yeah." Dean nodded his thanks, knowing Mason understood. "That he was."

"So what kind of demon are we dealing with?" Once again Dean was thankful that his brother was there, bringing them back to the task at hand and pulling Dean from his thoughts.

Bobby pushed them toward his car where all the notes were laid out over the trunk and Dean knew with that amount of research, they were definitely bringing this thing down. There was no way the four of them, four of the best hunters in the gig, were going to let a demon beat them.

According to Bobby and Mason's notes, the demon was pretty low on the food chain and was simply getting its kicks by turning small town folk against each other. Mason apparently found a lead on who it was possessing and was closing in when the thing snatched his kids.

The girl Dave believed it had possessed was missing, no body found, so they were assuming the demon was still lugging around the same host. Mason had a picture of the missing girl so at least, if they were right, then they knew who they're looking for.

"Any chance your kids have their cell phone on them?"

Dean looked to Sam in confusion but remembered who the geek in their operation was. Sam's gotten them out of a lot of dilemmas with his geeky brain.

"They don't have phones." Dean and Sam both stared at Mason, finding it unbelievable that kids these days would be without a phone, especially the kids of a hunter. "They're only five."

"What?"

"My girls," Mason pulled out his wallet and flipped it open, holding up a picture of his two girls. "They're five year old twins, Meghan and Mackenzie."

"Oh," Dean wanted to laugh at the look on Sam's face but his face couldn't have looked any better. "Well that explains why they were easy to snag, no offense."

"I wanted to keep them out of everything, at least for a while anyways."

"Believe me," He looked over at Sam with a sad smile and he knew Sam picked up on it. "I understand."

"Who were they with when they were taken?"

"They were with me, sleeping." Mason ran a hand through his hair and then turned back to Dean. "We don't have any family, my wife passed away about a year ago and neither of us had anyone else so it's just me and the girls now. I don't hunt much but when I do I hire a babysitter."

"You hire a babysitter?"

"There's a website, it's a long story, but it's definitely creditworthy."

"Wow," Dean laughed slightly but then stopped, smile falling instantly. "Sorry, it's just, it amazes me what you can find online nowadays."

For a second Dean worried he had upset Mason but finally the older man smiled, "It comes in handy when you're always on the move."

The group fell into another short silence before Bobby was pulling them out, handing both Sam and Dean a few pages of notes. Dean scanned them quickly but carefully and then nodded at the two older hunters, motioning for Sam to head back to the car.

"We'll split up," Dean motioned between him and his brother, hating that he was even suggesting it but there really wasn't much time. "We're going to find your girls, Dave."

"Thank you." Dave shook his hand and waved goodbye to Sam before climbing into Bobby's car.

Dean turned to Bobby once Sam and Dave were gone, "You think we'll get them back?"

"I hope so." Bobby didn't even try to cover his doubt and Dean read it loud and clear, _if they're even alive._ "Stay in touch and please be careful. Don't go too far from each other, okay? We don't know exactly what we're dealing with."

"We're dealing with a demon," Dean corrected with a small smile. "One that's not living past today."

"Let's just make sure that we do."

Dean nodded and clapped the older hunter on the shoulder before he turned away and headed back to the Impala. When his eyes fell on his brother sitting in the passenger seat, nose stuffed in the research, he felt his anger rush back with full force. He knew all too well what it felt like to lose someone to a demon but he couldn't imagine losing the only person he had left, the person he spent his life taking care of and trying to protect.

~*~*~

"So according to Bobby's notes, the activity is pretty much centered in this one town."

Dean nodded and pretended to be paying attention to Sam but his mind was finding it a bit hard to focus. He kept his eyes straight forward, his vision tunneling, as they raced across Minnesota on a hunt that neither of them knew too much about.

"Are you even listening to me, Dean?"

"Yeah," He lied, still keeping his eyes focused ahead. "Of course I am."

"You have no idea what I even said."

"Sure I do."

He turned his head for a second and caught Sam's awaiting glare but he didn't know what else to say. Instead of answering Sam's obvious question he just shrugged his shoulders and acted as if nothing had happened.

"So where should we look first?"

"Dean," Sam closed the folder and Dean knew what was coming next as his brother turned toward him with those sympathetic eyes. "You've got to stay focused, man. We're going to find them but not if you're spacing out like this."

"Shut it, Sam." He turned toward Sam with a glare and the younger man quickly snapped his mouth closed.

Without another word Sam turned back to the research and Dean went back to his own thoughts, only feeling slightly guilty for shutting his brother out once again. Since their father died, Dean was shutting Sam out more and more even if all he really wanted to do was keep the kid close and out of harm's way.

Sam had been pushing him to talk, trying to pull Dean out of the thoughts that were tormenting him but it just made Dean push back harder. He feared Sam would get tired of it soon and give up, maybe leave again, and Dean wasn't sure he could take that.

He didn't want to let it go that far but he was struggling and the only thing keeping him going was Sam, even if he couldn't say what he really felt.

"Bobby and Dave are checking out the east side of the town," Sam didn't even try to meet his eyes this time and Dean swallowed the lump in his throat.

"So we're checking the west side?"

"Looks like it," Sam pointed to a rather large area on the map Bobby had given them and circled a particular section. "I'll check out this part. It's apparently an old produce farm that's been abandoned for a few years now, if I were a demon, that'd be a pretty good place to hide."

"Why do you get that part?"

"Are we going to argue about this too?"

"No," He turned down one of the side streets, nearly sending the car into the surrounding fields. "I'm just…"

"What, Dean?" Sam's eyes took on the typical angry glare they got when Dean threatened his manhood. "I can take care of myself."

"That's not the problem, Sam!"

"Then what is?"

He slammed his hand against the steering wheel but didn't say a word as they made their way to the farm. It wasn't that he doubted Sam's ability; he just didn't want to test their luck.

When they pulled up to the farm, Dean abruptly stopped the car right in front of the gated entrance and waited. Sam didn't make a move to get out until Dean reached over and opened the door.

"Dean," He didn't look at Sam, just turned back to stare out the windshield. "I didn't mean to make it a fight. I'm sorry."

Sometimes Dean knew he was being an ass and this was definitely one of those times. He should be the one apologizing to Sam because anything the kid said these days he turned into a fight. Most of the time it wasn't Sam's fault, yet Sam was always the one saying sorry.

He waited till Sam was out of the car, heading toward the opened field before he called out the window, "Be careful, Sammy."

Sam didn't turn around and Dean didn't even know if his words had reached his brother or not but he didn't wait any longer. He threw the car into drive, making a rather sharp u-turn, and headed back out toward the main road.

Somewhere in the pit of his stomach, had he not been ignoring it, he would have realized he'd made a huge error in judgment. He would have turned the car right back around, if only he had listened to his gut.

**To be Continued…**

_Thank you all so much for reading and I really hope you'll stick with me! _

_There's definitely more hurt!Sam to come with sweet moments between the boys and the girls. _

_I'm really excited about this story so hopefully you all will continue to enjoy it!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**This story is for the lovely _Gidgetgal9_ who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to ___National Lung Cancer Partnership _in recognition of Kim Manners. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to_ sendintheclowns_ and _blueeyedliz_ for their support and beta and thanks to _Gidgetgal9_ for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s. **I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. It just kind of happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

~*~*~

The farm was rather large and he'd been searching for a little over an hour, finding nothing but dead crop. Still, something felt different about this area, like something was watching him and Sam didn't ignore those types of things.

He continued surveying the entire land, unable to see much past the overgrown weeds and dead crops, until finally an old farm house came into view. He picked up his pace but kept his eyes searching in case something really was watching him, waiting to get the drop.

The house was rather larger but Sam easily and quickly made it around the perimeter, checking all his possible entry points. As he approached the back of the house he noticed a light flickering from one of the basement windows and Sam knew his instincts were right once again.

He crouched down by the window, trying to get a peek inside but he couldn't see a thing through the dust covering the glass.

As he moved to stand up his senses spiked and he was instantly aware of the footsteps approaching from behind him. He slowly reached for the knife in his pocket but before his hand even made it close, he was being thrown to the side, head impacting hard against the wall.

"Well, if it isn't Sammy Winchester." Sam tried to focus but his head was pounding and if he hadn't known better he would have sworn his back was broken, by the way pain shot up his spine. "This is quite a pleasant surprise."

His vision finally stopped swimming enough that he was able to make out the face mere inches from his own, black eyes boring into his. He tried to scoot back, regretting the movement instantly as his sore body protested and the wall behind him blocked his retreat.

"Who are you?" He rubbed a hand over the back of his head, a lump already forming which definitely wasn't a good sign.

"We haven't met yet, but I'm honored to finally have the privilege." The demon leaned even closer, her lips nearly brushing over Sam's ear. "It's so nice to have a celebrity join the party."

Sam twisted his head away from her as much as he could but unintentionally gave her better access to his neck and she gladly took advantage. Her cold lips marked every inch she could across Sam's neck before he finally gathered enough energy to push her away, even if she didn't go very far.

"Let the girls go and you can have me."

"Oh, Sweetie," The demon laughed as she moved closer to Sam once more so that she was straddling his lap. "I already have you, but I might be less inclined to _play_ with them now that you're here."

"Please," He knew it was worthless to plead but that's about all his mind could come up with.

"No can do." She wrapped her hand tight around a bunch of his hair and Sam could hear Dean in his head, yelling at him to get a haircut. "They're bait."

Sam tried desperately to clear his foggy mind but everything was blurry and nothing was making sense in his head. He winced when the demons hand tightened in his hair and after a rough kiss on the lips, Sam felt his head being slammed against the wall again but this time he couldn't fight off the darkness.

~*~*~

Dean had searched two different farms and still had absolutely nothing useful after nearly two hours of searching. He kept looking at his watch every five minutes, wishing time would slow down because he was seriously starting to doubt their success on this job.

One last look around the farm and Dean was heading back to the car, pulling his cell phone out on the way. He figured now was good time to call Sam, maybe make some coded apology that he knew his brother would understand, because he certainly wasn't getting anywhere on his own.

The first call he made rang through to voicemail and Dean shoved the phone back into his pocket, mumbling about brooding little brothers. By the time he finally reached the Impala his anger had reached a frightening level, but Dean wasn't exactly sure why.

He pulled his phone out again and waited as his call connected except this time it went straight to voicemail, which meant Sam's phone had been turned off and Sam, angry or not, would never turn his phone off while on a hunt.

Dean quickly disconnected the call and dialed the next person on his speed dial, "Bobby, we have a problem."

He heard the older man complain about a proper greeting but Dean didn't bother listening.

"I can't get a hold of Sam."

The other line went silent for a second before the complaints were replaced by cursing, "What the hell do you mean you can't get a hold of him?"

"We had this sort of fight." Dean slid into the driver's seat and slammed his head forward against the steering wheel. "I left him at this farm then when I tried to call him he didn't answer and now his phone has been turned off."

He heard Bobby sigh, "You ever think he might be ignoring you, boy?"

"Sam wouldn't do that, Bobby." Dean shook his head as he turned the car on and raced back to the main road. "Something's happened."

"Calm down, Dean."

"I can't calm down!" His hand gripped the wheel as tight as humanly possible, knuckles turning white, and his voice shook. "I can't lose him. He's all I have left."

Bobby didn't say anything else and Dean assumed the conversation was over but just before he hung up the phone, he heard the older man whisper on the other line.

"We'll find him, Dean." He could hear the determination in Bobby's voice and it managed to make him a little less tense. "Meet us back at the gas station. We're going to do this together, you hear me? No more splitting up."

"Yes, sir."

Bobby was the one to hang up first and Dean found himself in shock at how easily he'd let someone else take the lead. He'd always respected Bobby more than any other hunter they'd met, but he hadn't realized just how much he trusted the man until that moment.

His father was gone and he was feeling a bit lost lately, but he knew Bobby was still there, trying his hardest to fill a position Dean didn't think anyone could. No one would ever replace their father, but Bobby Singer, was the closest thing to family that he and Sam had and that seemed to ease a little weight off of Dean's stressed shoulders.

~*~*~

When Sam came to he could just barely hear the quiet whispers coming from somewhere right above him but he couldn't make out the voices or what they were saying. His head felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it but he assumed a brick wall is pretty darn close.

The pounding in his head finally started to recede a bit and he was eventually able to open his eyes, blinking in the dim light of the room. He tried to pull himself up, barely able to lift his head before it was falling back against the cement floor and he couldn't help but winced at the contact.

"I guess he's not dead."

Sam finally managed to pull himself up, feeling around for a wall he could lean against and luckily finding one right beside him. When his eyes focused enough for him to make out his surroundings he noticed the two little girls sitting only a few feet away, wide eyes staring at him.

"You two must be Meghan and Mackenzie." He gave them his best smile as he gently probed at the wound on the back of his head. "My name's Sam."

Both had beautiful curly red hair, hazel eyes, and the exact same number of freckles framing their noses. Even though Dave had showed them a picture of the girls, Sam still found it insane how completely identical the girls were, save for their opposing pajamas. Had Dean been there he knew his big brother would have ridiculed him for knowing that one girl was wearing Cinderella PJs while the other had Belle.

Really Sam could blame Dean for his strange ability to identify the Disney princesses because his brother was the one who read the stories to him growing up.

"Are you a good guy?" The one in the Cinderella pajamas moved onto her knees, watching Sam closely the way one would when judging a threat.

"I'm a friend of your daddy's."

"You're too young to be Daddy's friend."

Sam laughed and when he noticed the girls smiling too he figured he was making some progress.

He didn't try to move closer to them, not only because he didn't want to scare them but he was also quite sure his body would protest any movement. The girls didn't seem injured but after being taken from their father, Sam could only imagine how scared they were.

"Are you going to get us out of here?"

Sam didn't answer right away, aggravated that he wasn't sure of the answer, but finally he smiled, knowing there were still three other hunters out there looking for them.

"We're all going to get out of here very soon, I promise."

"Daddy sent you to save us?"

"He sure did, but he's going to be here any time now." He crossed his legs under him and really looked at the two girls in front of him, still completely amazed by their alikeness. "You two look a lot alike, are you sisters?"

They both giggled and Sam's smile widened as the two looked at each other before standing up and moving closer to him.

The one wearing the Cinderella PJs held her tiny hand out to Sam, "I'm Mackenzie."

He gently shook her hand and when she sat down in front of him he turned his attention toward the other little girl. The slight blush on her cheeks made Sam want to hug her close, both of them were just so innocent and adorable, he couldn't imagine anyone harming them.

"You must be Meghan then." He took her hand into his and shook it just as he had Mackenzie's, but Meghan hung her head. Sam could tell she was smiling by the dimples on her cheeks.

The three of them were quiet for a few moments and Sam didn't know much about little kids but he imagined that silence wasn't something five year olds were familiar with. He couldn't see any physical injuries on either girl, but that didn't mean anything, especially when the girls have been gone nearly three days.

"Are either of you hurt?" He noticed them share another look but then they shook their heads, both sets of eyes starting to look a bit too shiny.

"The lady said that if we were loud she'd hurt us, but we've been really quiet." Meghan seemed to scoot closer to Sam as she spoke and he didn't complain.

"That's good, you two are really brave." He wasn't sure why he did it but he found himself pulling both girls toward him as close as they could get. "I won't let her hurt you, okay?"

Two sets of trusting eyes stared up at Sam and he smiled, wrapping an arm around either girl. "You mean it?"

"Cross my heart." He took his arm from Mackenzie for just a second and drew an X over his chest.

"No, silly," They both giggled again but shook their heads as they leaned into his side and held up one of their small hands. "You have to pinky swear."

"Oh right," He laughed as he held out his pinky finger on both hands and the girls curled their finger around his. "I pinky swear."

Meghan lifted her head and looked him in the eye for the first time with a bright smile and beautiful dimples. He felt himself blush this time, realizing that something he had always disliked about himself, he found absolutely adorable on these two.

Eventually both girls ended up lying on the floor, their heads pillowed on his thighs and he absently brushed at their long, curly, red hair. He noticed moments after the two had found the position that their eyes had drifted closed and their breath was coming in even puffs against his denim clad leg.

He had been expecting to work harder in order to win the girls' trust but it was surprisingly, and frighteningly, easy.

At five Sam had still been trusting and friendly, but after some creep motel manager almost got his filthy hands on Sam, his father and brother were quick to change that.

He learned to be careful around strangers, suspicious of their actions but they hadn't made him shy. Sam was still overly friendly, had nearly everyone swooning over him within seconds, but he knew better than to trust, to let them get too close to him.

Meghan and Mackenzie had been timid at first, staying a good distance away until they knew who Sam was, and luckily Sam was telling the truth. He hated to think about how easy it is for the creeps in the world to play on the trust of young kids.

He would keep his promise no matter what it took because there was no way he could stand by and watch someone harm these girls. If he couldn't get them out of here then at least he could keep them safe until Dean showed up to save them all, _if _he showed up.

~*~*~

"You think your brother found my girls?"

Dean took a deep breath and tried desperately to suppress the desire to punch Dave in the face because the guy was obviously just as concerned as he was. He just couldn't help the anger he felt toward the two older men since Sam had gone missing and he wouldn't have been there if it weren't for them.

Of course he knew it wasn't their fault but blaming them was easier than dwelling on the guilt eating at him.

"I don't know, Dave." He couldn't look at the guy, didn't want to see the hope that was Dean's worry.

"Dave," Lucky for him, Bobby was definitely getting better at understanding him and knew when to interject to escape disaster. "I think Dean believes the demon that took your girls now has his brother."

"He's a hunter!" Dave pulled the baseball cap off his head and threw it to the ground as he made a move toward Dean, only to be held back by Bobby. "How the hell does he get taken by a demon? Some help he was."

"Sam's a damn good hunter, our father made sure of it!" He raised his voice to meet Dave's and tried to get in the older man's face but Bobby stood between them, successfully keeping the two apart. "Maybe if you were half the father he was, then your children wouldn't have been taken in the first place and my brother wouldn't have been caught trying to fix your stupid mistake!"

"That's enough!"

Both he and Dave quickly silenced their arguments when Bobby screamed out above their yelling, sending both men back a step. Dean took a deep breath and ran a shaky hand over his face as his anger started to disappear.

He and Dave had a lot more in common now and even more reason to be fighting together instead of against each other. They didn't have time for pointless name calling.

"I'm sorry," He looked at Bobby when he said it but his words were meant for both men. "I just want to find them."

"Me too."

When he looked up he spotted Dave smiling slightly in his direction and he nodded, accepting Dave's indirect apology. Seemed it was a hunter's way to say more than the actual words coming out of his mouth.

After a few seconds Dean pulled out the folded map from his pocket and moved to open it up on the trunk of the Impala. Bobby and Dave gathered beside him and he drew out the route he and Sam had taken, circling the area where he'd left Sam.

"Sam said it was abandoned and I can't say I saw much more than a bunch of land."

"Most likely there's a house on the land," Dave pointed to the center of the land Dean had circled. "Farmers usually liked to be surrounded by their crop so I'm guessing it was somewhere around here, in the middle."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" He quickly made to fold up the map before Bobby grabbed his wrist tightly.

"We're down one, Dean!"

He tried to give Bobby the angry Winchester glare but the older man didn't even look away, instead Dean found his eyes wandering anywhere but Bobby's.

"That means this thing most likely knows we're on her trail, we've lost our element of surprise."

"So we get creative."

"So we create a plan." Bobby gives him a Singer version of the glare and Dean feels slightly intimidated even if he won't admit it. "We will be smart about this, and you _will_ follow my lead."

"No way, Bobby," He wrenched his wrist out of Bobby's hold. "This is Sam we're talking about, I take the lead."

"I'm the senior hunter," Bobby's tone made it very clear that there was no more arguing. "I will be taking the lead, is that understood?"

Not willing to push it any further, Dean backed down and agreed with a silent nod as Bobby pulled the map from his hands and unfolded it back on the car's trunk. Dean listened as Bobby explained the detailed plan, pointing out the major points on the map before them, but his mind kept wandering, making it extremely difficult to pay attention.

He got the key components and knew that Bobby was definitely one of the best hunters around after coming up with something in such a small amount of time.

Bobby had explained to them that just as demons could bind themselves to their hosts, someone who knew the right symbols and words could bind a demon to a certain area. That was the plan; to bind the demon and then send the damn thing back to hell.

While Bobby was doing his stuff, Dean and Dave would be scaling the house, laying down devil's traps on any available surface to block possible escape routes. If Dean managed to find a way to get inside then, well, he would just add that tiny bit to their plan.

Just as the three were getting ready to head out, Dean's cell phone started ringing in his pocket. He slowly pulled the phone out, immediately noticing the flashing name on the screen, _Sam. _

"Sammy?" He knew he was most likely not going to get the answer he wanted but he wasn't exactly ready for the one he did receive.

"I'm sorry," A menacing female voice came from the other end. "Sammy can't come to the phone right now."

Dean tightened his fingers around the phone, thinking of all the ways he would hurt the bitch on the other line, except many of them would only harm her host. He wanted to hurt the thing before but now she'd just made it extremely personal.

"I'm going to kill you," He even frightened himself with the force behind his threat, but the demon didn't even seem fazed.

"Well ain't that funny," Dean heard her snicker and his anger went up another notch, if that was even possible. "How do you plan on doing that, sugar?"

He didn't bother answering the question and he didn't dare say another word, not trusting himself to open his mouth without saying something that would give her more pleasure. Instead he stayed silent and waited for her to say whatever it is she wanted. He knew she called for a reason and the sooner it was out, the quicker he could find his brother.

"Imagine my luck when a strong, young hunter showed up to join us," Dean listened closely, picking up on the sound of the demon's footsteps as she apparently climbed down a set of rickety stairs. "He's just going to be so much fun, the life of the party, or well, you know what I mean."

The muffled whimpers on the other end at least told Dean the girls were still alive but the fact that he couldn't hear his brother worried him. He didn't have to wait long when Sam finally spoke up, making Dean both angry and proud at the same time.

"_Leave them alone!" _Sam's words were a little shaky and with years of practice Dean could tell his brother was hurt. _"You can do whatever you want to me but please, just leave them alone."_

Dean's mind was going crazy. He knew Sam was doing the right thing but that didn't make him any less worried. A part of him was praying for the demon to decline Sam's offer, but then Dean didn't want it harming the girls either. The whole situation was definitely bad.

He listened as the demon laughed again, heard the girls yelling at her to leave them all alone but the bitch just laughed harder. Sam grunted in pain and Dean wanted to climb through the phone as the girls screamed out for the demon to let Sam go.

After a few seconds Dean thought that the demon was done, that maybe she was just trying to get Dean's anger going enough to light a little fire under his step. He should have known she wasn't finished, not yet.

Sam's scream was so clear that Dean almost thought he was hearing it through the night breeze and he bit his lip from crying out as well. He heard Sam's muffled whimper and knew his brother was trying to cover his pain and keep from giving the demon satisfaction while also trying to keep the girls calm.

"Sammy," He whispered, knuckles white from where he was clutching the phone.

"I'm going to have to let you go now, Dean." The demon spoke into Sam's phone again as Sam bit off another scream. "The longer it takes you and your friends to get here, the more bones I'm going to break."

The phone went dead and Dean slammed his fist into the Impala, not even thinking twice about the car.

"Dean?" Bobby grabbed a hold of his shoulders and forced their eyes to meet but he shook his head, unable to explain.

"Your girls are fine," His eyes drifted over Bobby's shoulder and met Dave's, answering the father's obvious question. "Sam's keeping them safe."

Without another word Dean slipped out of Bobby's grasp, climbed into the Impala and peeled out of the parking lot. He knew Bobby would be right behind him, making sure he didn't do anything stupid, but they couldn't afford to waste anymore time. Sam was hurt and that meant all Dean cared about was getting him back, plan or no plan.

**To be continued…**

_Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone who reviewed or put an alert on this story!_

_It means so much that you all are enjoying it. Hope you continue to because it's starting to pick up now!_

_Have a great weekend and to those getting snow like me, me careful but have fun!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** This story is for the lovely _gidgetgal9_who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership_ in recognition of Kim Manners. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_and _blueeyedliz_for their support and beta and thanks to _gidgetgal9_for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s.** I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

~*~*~

While the girls slept on either side him, probably the first time they'd let their eyes close in nearly three days, Sam took in the room. He could tell it was rather large, but the only area he could really see was what the light bulb above them illuminated, which wasn't much.

There was a window on the left wall, the one Sam had noticed before being caught, but it was definitely too high for him to climb through. However, he most likely could lift the girls through the window, but he'd only do that if he knew Dean, Bobby and Dave were outside.

In his immediate reach, Sam couldn't make out anything that would be useful against the demon, but he suspected he could find something if he searched a bit harder. There had to be some way for him to gain the upper hand, just long enough for him to get the girls to safety.

He'd been paying close attention to the footsteps upstairs and was quick to pick up on their movement toward the door. The lock clicked and he heard the door squeak open which caused the girls to wake up with a start.

Both girls sat up and wrap their arms tightly around Sam's midsection, heads buried in his t-shirt, as the demon slowly descended the stairs. Sam knew she was talking to someone and he started to worry that there might be more than one until she finally came into view, his phone held to her ear.

Sam's arms instinctively tightened around the twins as the demon stepped right up to them, a wicked smile on her face. She bent down and extends her hand toward Mackenzie but Sam managed to pull the girl away from the demon's reach.

"Leave them alone!" He yelled, feeling the girls flinch but they only tightened their hold on him. "You can do whatever you want to me but please, just leave them alone."

The demon laughed and stood up, but instead of backing away she moved in closer, bending down so that her face was inches from Sam's.

Meghan and Mackenzie both pulled back and started pleading for her to leave them alone, but she of course didn't listen. Instead, she curled her hand into Sam's shirt and with inhuman strength she broke his hold on the girls and threw him across the room, into the other wall.

He couldn't help the painful grunt that escaped as his already sore body slammed into the unforgiving concrete. His head was spinning and his ears were ringing but he was able to make out the heartbreaking cries from the girls as they desperately begged for the demon to let him go.

He didn't know what the demon had in mind but he was thankful her focus was on him. He wished the girls weren't there to see it but all that really mattered was that they were safe for now and he intended on keeping it that way.

Just as his head started to settle he blinked his eyes open only to see the demon standing in front of him, her hand held up, palm facing him. He didn't have time to even think about what she was doing before he felt the sudden pain throbbing up his arm.

When he looked down his left arm he couldn't see any damage but he knew instantly by the increase of pain as he tried to lift his hand that she had broken his wrist. He bit his lip against the pain but still groaned when his wrist was jarred as he pulled himself up against the wall.

He looked over toward the other wall where the girls were now curled together and he could see the dim light reflecting off the tears that rolled down their faces. They were staring directly at him, eyes wide with fear and he could see that they were now pleading with him, begging him to be okay, to save them.

He gave them the best smile he could pull, clenching his teeth to keep the pain from showing on his face. Dean had always told him he was like an open book, and Sam desperately hoped he could prove Dean wrong this once. They didn't need to know that he most likely wasn't getting them out of there because he couldn't even protect himself, let alone them.

"I'm going to have to let you go now, Dean."

Sam's eyes widened when he heard his brother's name and he wanted to yell out, tell Dean where they were, but he couldn't. Instead he found himself screaming out again at the harsh wave of pain that ran up his right leg, causing him to nearly empty his stomach on the already dirty floor beneath him.

"The longer it takes you and your friends to get here, the more bones I'm going to break."

The demon laughed as she ended the call and moved closer to Sam, once again lowering herself into his personal space. She rubbed her hands over his shoulders, letting them slowly slide down his arms before she aggressively grabbed his left wrist.

He threw his head back and bit his lip so hard that he could feel the blood dripping down his chin. The demon laughed as she leaned in closer, nipping at his neck before she dropped his arm to the hard floor, jarring his broken wrist.

Finally she stood up and backed away from Sam, turning toward the girls who were now sobbing uncontrollably. He tried to pull himself up but with a broken wrist and a messed up ankle, he couldn't even manage getting to his knees.

Thankfully the demon just snickered, turning back to Sam with a proud smile before she headed back up stairs, locking the door behind her.

Sam once again tried to pull himself up and just as before he fell right back to the ground. He took a deep breath and held his arm protectively to his chest as he settled for sitting himself up straighter against the wall.

"It's okay," He whispered through clenched teeth. "I'm okay."

Their crying didn't stop but the girls did eventually lift their heads, eyes finding Sam's in the darkness. When they finally seemed satisfied with his answer, they broke apart quickly and raced across the room.

He braced himself as two girls hurtled toward him, but thankfully they both managed to stop just inches before impact. The tears still rolled down their cheeks but their sobs were slowly turning into hiccups as he motioned with his good arm for them to sit.

Meghan gently knelt beside him, scooting as close to his left side as she could before her tiny hand reached toward his face. Her eyes seemed to find his bleeding lip and he simply smiled, curling his arm around the little girls shoulder.

"It'll be okay." He rested the side of his face against the top of her head as Mackenzie knelt down beside Meghan.

"She hurt you?" Mackenzie's eyes find his arm first before they drift toward his ankle, which was already swelling.

"Yeah, but as soon as we get out of here it'll be fine."

"How are we going to get out?" They both sat down and folded their legs beneath them.

"My brother," Sam smiled. "He's going to save us; it's what he's best at."

"You have a brother?"

He noticed the girls had stopped crying and their fear had seemed to be momentarily forgotten at the mention of Dean. They were both leaning closer, head cupped in their hands with their elbows on their knees.

"Does he look like you?" Meghan turned and looked at Mackenzie for a second before her attention was back on Sam.

"No," He laughed. "He's my big brother. We look much different but we're still really close."

He didn't let himself think about how much they had drifted apart recently because that wasn't what was going to get him out of this mess. No matter how angry Dean could get with him, he knew his brother was going to save him and that – the faith he still had in Dean – was what he planned to hold onto.

"Is he like Superman?"

Sam laughed out loud, knowing Dean would be gloating at the comparison. He shook his head at the confused looks and continued to smile as he thought about how, in all honesty, Dean was quite similar to the superhero.

"He doesn't have any magic powers," He told them. "But he does save lives so I guess he is like Superman."

"That's pretty cool!"

He nodded, letting his head rest against the hard wall as the exhaustion slowly started to take over his body.

The girls must have picked up on his silence as they both curled up on the ground beside him, their heads resting next to each other's on his left thigh. Sam smiled and lightly draped his good arm over the twins before finally letting the exhaustion win.

~*~*~

Dean had quite a few regrets and over eighty percent of them involved Sam. He told himself every time that he'd make it up to his brother, but somehow Dean doubted he ever followed through.

Recently, he'd found himself regretting a lot more.

Splitting up was never a good idea but Dean hadn't been thinking straight; he had only wanted to find the girls and get the job over with. Now he had to find his brother as well because while Dean had been off complaining about his moody little brother, Sam had been taken and hurt.

The whole hunt had turned into one major mistake and if anything happened to Sam because of it, Dean wouldn't be able to live with that.

When he finally reached the farm he was out of the car in seconds and grabbing every flask of holy water he could possibly carry. He wished they still had the colt but really, that seemed like a generous way to kill the demon and Dean definitely wasn't feeling generous.

This thing was going to pay. Some way, somehow, Dean was going to show that demon just what happened when you even _think_ about hurting his brother.

He shoved his gun into his waistband, knowing it would do nothing to stop a demon but it just might slow her down. Dean took anything that could possibly help because even as much as he wanted to kill the demon, getting Sam out was his first priority.

Sam was always his first priority.

Sadly it took something like this to make him realize how messed up his priorities have been lately. He wanted to make another promise, to swear he'd make things better, but he knew it would just be another one he wouldn't be able to keep.

He switched on his flashlight and slowly made his way down the farm's dirt road, keeping his eyes trained on his surrounding and ready for anything. It was difficult to see much through the overgrown weeds and dead crops, but Dean felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck which made up for the lack of visibility.

Something was definitely stalking him.

He had felt it since he pulled up but it only got worse as he made his way deeper into the darkness of the farm. It was nearly impossible to see anything but what was right in front of him and that didn't give him much time for a reaction.

As much as he didn't want to, he stopped walking and turned around the way he had come, the light doing very little to show him anything but his own footprints. He stayed where he was for a few moments, baiting whatever it was to come forward from the shadows.

He heard the rustling from behind him and quickly shot around, aiming his flashlight into the overgrown mess. There was nothing to see and the noise seemed to stop immediately but he could make out more footsteps approaching from the path.

Without another thought he pulled the gun from his jeans and aimed into the weeds, waiting for whatever was coming to show its face. He turned his back for a second, checking down the path as those footsteps drew closer.

Suddenly the gun was being slapped from his hand, a muscled arm wrapping itself around his throat and affectively blocking his airway. He threw his elbows back and took his attacker by surprise, easily slipping from the hold and throwing a hard punch right into the man's face.

It didn't take long for the man to recover from his punch and before Dean could predict the next move, a fast and dirty punch had him practically seeing stars. The arm was once again around his neck, other arm apparently finding time to grab the gun that was held against Dean's temple.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked roughly as more pressure was applied to Dean's neck.

Even if he had wanted to answer there was no way he would be able to speak and he was desperately fighting to take in what little air he could. Just as he was starting to see the spots dotting his vision, the footsteps he heard approaching had finally come into view of the fallen flashlight resting on the ground.

It took him a second to recognize who it was but as soon as his oxygen deprived brain caught up his fear was quickly replaced with relief.

"Let him go!" Bobby approached slowly but held a gun trained expertly on the man's head.

Luckily the guy was even taller than Sam, giving Bobby plenty of room to get off a shot without worrying about hitting Dean by accident. Dean wasn't worried anyways, he knew Bobby was a hell of a shot and the older man wouldn't shoot if there was a chance for error.

Dean took advantage of the man's surprise and quickly grabbed for the arm holding the gun. He easily twisted the man's arm and himself around, causing the gun to drop as Dean dislocated the man's shoulder.

With a satisfied smirk as the man let out a painful yelp, Dean quickly picked up the gun and stepped back with it aimed precisely on his attacker.

"Who are you?" Dean turned the safety back on and lowered the gun.

"Why would I tell you?"

"Seems to me you don't really have a choice," He motioned toward Bobby and Dave, both still holding their guns at the ready. "My friends here can easily blow you away unless you decide to cooperate."

"You hunters?" The man eyed the three of them, a sly smile curling at his lips.

"I'm the one asking the questions here." Dean opened the chamber of the gun and pocketed the bullets before tossing it back at the man's feet. "Now tell me; who you are and what you're doing here."

"Nathan Williams. I'm doing the same thing you are so why don't you guys just back off and let me finish?"

"This isn't a one man job," Dean picked up his gun and flashlight, purposely shining the light into the man's eyes. "Plus, this is personal for us so I suggest _you _back off and get out of _our _way."

"And how do you expect to kill it?" Dean watched as the man chuckled and his fingers curled tightly around his gun, fighting the urge to pull the trigger. "With that little pistol of yours?"

"Might not kill a demon," He lowered his voice as he stepped closer with an evil smirk. "But it certainly can kill you."

"You wouldn't."

"Do you want to try me?"

"Hunters don't kill humans."

"They do when they get in their way." Dean turned the safety off and aimed his gun at the man's chest. "Now you've wasted enough of my time so either you leave or I pull the trigger."

Seeming to sense that he wasn't kidding, the man quickly picked up his gun and started to head toward the path, grumbling under his breath as he went. Dean didn't let him get more than a foot away before he rammed the butt of his gun into the man's temple, watching as the bastard crumbled to the ground. There really wasn't a need for it but it certainly made him feel better.

"Great timing." He smiled toward the older hunters but neither of them seemed to find the humor.

"You're lucky I don't turn my gun on you, boy." Bobby stepped closer to Dean and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, yanking the younger hunter forward. "You ever run off like that again and I just might."

"I have to save Sam." Dean pushed back and Bobby let go of his shirt, letting him stumble backwards.

"No," Bobby corrected. "_We_ have to. You're not the only one with family in there, Dean."

He watched Bobby closely and knew the older hunter wasn't only speaking about Dave because it was obviously Bobby included himself.

"I'm sorry," Dean whispered. "But, can we please just go and get this over with?"

Without another word, Bobby motioned for him to lead them down the path as the elder hunters fell behind silently. Dean didn't want to admit that he had made another mistake, but he couldn't deny that things would have turned out badly if it weren't for Bobby and Dave.

Seemed Dean was always blinded by one emotion or another but it was usually Sam that was there to keep him out of trouble. It was obvious to him who the sensible brother was but he'd never tell Sam that, though he was pretty certain his brother already knew.

He was always a complete mess without Sam.

~*~*~

Icy fingers ran down the side of his face, tingling in contrast to his heated cheeks. He found himself leaning into the touch and enjoying the chill as the fingers slowly made their way toward his neck, curling around the warm flesh.

Instantly his eyes snap open, realizing that the fingers weren't intending to offer comfort. He lifted his hand reflexively, attempting to push the hand away but the movement only reminded him of the pain that had finally dulled.

"Get away from me." He hissed through gritted teeth.

"You're so irresistible, Sam." She moved to his right side, staying clear from the twins on his left. "I can't help wanting to run my hands over every inch of your body."

Her other hand curled tightly into his hair, bringing his head forward before pushing it back against the wall again.

"But I have to tell you," She stood back and Sam held his eyes closed as he tried to stop his head from spinning but she didn't give him time before he felt another excruciating pain ripple up his side. "I enjoy hurting you much more. Your pain brings me so much pleasure."

Meghan and Mackenzie startled awake, their tired eyes quickly finding Sam in the dark as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. He tried desperately to hide his pain but he didn't think he could this time. He turned his head away as he let the tears fall and his face twisted from a scream he wouldn't let himself voice.

"You're just too much fun."

The demon laughed as she lifted her boot, slamming it down hard onto his presumably broken shin and he felt his tongue split between his teeth, the coppery substance filling his mouth. There was nothing but pain for him as he dropped his head back against the wall, trying to breathe through the worst of it as the demon's laughter and the girls' pleas faded into the background.

~*~*~

"What's the plan?" Dean stopped as soon as the house came into view and quickly turned toward the older men behind him.

Bobby scratched at his scruffy beard and eyed the large house before them, "I think we're going to need a little help from inside."

"What do you mean?"

"There's too many escape routes to cover, plus she could easily jump the host."

"So one of us has to go in?"

"I'll do it." Dave stepped closer to Bobby and Dean, his eyes fixed on the house before them. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"It's not that simple, Dave." Bobby pulled out a small leather book from his pocket and flipped through the worn pages. "Whoever goes in will be in charge of the exorcism but we still need a distraction."

Dean's eyes widened at the older hunters words, realizing exactly what Bobby was suggesting. He shook his head and glared at the other two hunters.

"Sam's already hurt," He turned back to the house, eyes falling toward the basement window. "I'm not putting him in further danger."

"We just need him to keep her downstairs, Dean." Bobby moved to his side and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "It won't take long. I promise."

"Can't we just stick to the devils traps?"

"Like I said," Bobby pointed toward the upper stories of the house. "There's just too many. Sam would be in more danger if we did it that way, Dean."

"Okay," He relented. "What do you want me to do then?"

"You have to go warn Sam while I start the binding ritual." Bobby nodded toward the basement window where a small amount of light was visible. "Stay low and don't try anything stupid. We'll get them out shortly but for now we need them in there."

Dean nodded his understanding but didn't bother saying anything as he quietly headed toward the house, careful to stay in the shadows. He kept his eyes trained on the house, watching all windows for any sign of movement but saw none.

Positive that he hadn't been noticed, Dean quickly jogged the rest of the way and easily scaled the house before crouching down beside the window. He turned to check on Bobby and Dave and noticed Dave was already moving into position as Bobby held the book opened and started the ritual.

He slowly tilted his body to the side so he could see into the window and his eyes quickly scanned the room for his brother or the girls. When he finally spotted Sam all his protective impulses kicked in and he fought desperately against the urge to crash the demon's sick party.

The demon was standing over Sam who didn't seem to be moving. He begged silently for a sign of life from his brother as he watched Dave's girls frantically try and rouse Sam.

Dean focused a bit harder, eyes narrowing in on Sam's tight features and he could see the tiny tremors racking his brother's body. The only blood he could see was coming from Sam's lips but he didn't doubt the demon had kept her promise. She had most likely broken quite a few bones by now and Sam's ankle was definitely swollen judging by the way his once loose pants now clung.

It took Dean a moment to remember he had a mission but with his memory came realization.

Sam was out for the count and Dave's girls were definitely not going to be keeping the demon busy. They were in need for a new plan.

He turned back toward Bobby for a second, trying to motion to the older hunter but Bobby never looked up from the book in his hands. When Dean turned back to the window he saw the demon climbing the stairs, already opening the door before he could even think of a last minute distraction.

With a mumbled curse he slammed his elbow into the window and quickly slid himself through the rather small space and onto the basement floor. He wasted no time getting to Sam and the girls, ignoring the identical terrified eyes that sized him up as he checked over Sam's injuries.

The noises upstairs were becoming louder before they suddenly stopped all once, the silence terrifying Dean more than the angry voices. He stopped for only a second, ears trained for any indication that the lack of noise meant they had lost the battle.

Instead he was rewarded with roar of explosion as the basement door seemed to fly off its hinges and the whole house rattled above them. The floor boards above them were bending downward and Dean knew that they had very little time to get out of there before they were all going to be buried with the house.

"Dean!" His head shot toward the smashed window he'd climbed through. "You guys have to get out of there now."

"You think?" Dean asked sarcastically as he tried to quickly figure out how they would manage the feat. "Sam's out and it looks like his leg's pretty messed up, arm too."

"You'll have to pass 'em to me," Bobby motioned for him to hurry but it took Dean a second to comprehend. "Now, Dean. Give me Sam first."

Dean finally nodded and quickly jumped into motion, moving behind Sam and gently folding his arms around Sam's torso. Sam grunted out in pain with the movement, eyes suddenly flying open.

"Sorry, bro." Dean whispered.

"He's hurt!" One of the girls cried out and moved to push Dean away but luckily the force did nothing to loosen Dean's hold. "Stop it!"

"Hey," Dean looked down at the girl, trying to be as calming as possible considering the situation. "I'm here to help, okay? We're going to get you all out."

"You're Dean?" The other one asked, though it sounded more like a statement and he couldn't help but smile slightly.

"That's me," He tugged Sam up further and started pulling his brother toward the window, still unsure how to lift his giant of a little brother up to Bobby.

"Sam was right," The one in Cinderella pajamas smiled – Dean guessed the name of the princess because of course he wouldn't know – and turned toward her sister who smiled as well, suddenly comforted. "You are like Superman."

"But you can't fly." The other one added.

Dean felt his chest tighten and when he glanced down at his brother he noticed Sam smiling despite the obvious pain. He shook his head and gently lowered Sam to the ground again when they made it to the window.

"I don't think I can lift him to you, Bobby." As much as Dean didn't want to admit it, he knew he wasn't strong enough, not without being to get a grip on Sam's leg or arm. It made it near impossible to pull the kid out without causing more damage and pain.

"Dean," Sam's voice is quiet and Dean almost misses it over the roar of the fire above them.

"What is it Sam?" He crouched down, instinctively moving to cover his brother when one of the floor boards cracked above them.

"The girls first." Sam nodded toward the girls, now clinging to each other behind them and he knew Sam had a point.

"Alright," He gently tapped Sam's shoulder as he stood back up and turned toward the girls. "You two ready to get out of here?"

"Sam too?"

"He won't be far behind," Dean prayed he would be right. "But I'm going to lift you up to my friend and he's going to help you out okay?"

They nodded and held their arms up to him as he carefully lifted one up to Bobby who easily pulled the girl through the window. He lifted the other girl up and listened as Bobby told them both to run toward the broken fence behind them, promising that as soon as Dean and Sam were out, all of them would be leaving.

"Sammy?" Dean moved back to his brother's side and tapped Sam's cheek. "Time to go, little brother."

"I can't." Sam's eyes started to blink closed.

"Don't even think about it, man." He ignored Sam's painful whimpers as he tugged his brother back up.

Bobby lowered himself to the ground and slid his upper body through the window, arms extended down toward the brothers. Had the situation not been so serious, Dean probably would have laughed at the older hunter.

He shifted Sam in his arms and tried to hoist his brother up as much as he could so that Bobby could hook his own arms under Sam's. Finally Bobby got enough leverage on Sam's upper body and Dean carefully grabbed onto Sam's legs, not missing the painful scream Sam was obviously trying to hold back.

They managed to pull Sam out just as one of the floor boards finally fell. Dean ducked out of its way but quickly jumped back up when Bobby reappeared at the window. He grabbed onto the older hunters arms and allowed Bobby to pull him up until Dean had enough leverage to pull himself the rest of the way.

Once through the window, Dean rolled to the side and took a few calming breaths before jumping to his feet. He and Bobby carefully pulled Sam up and rushed off toward the fence where the girls were waiting.

Dean noticed the girls were starring at the house as the flames continued to consume the large structure. Once the three hunters joined them their eyes drifted up to Dean, tears threatening to spill.

"Where's Daddy?"

**To Be Continued…**

_ I wasn't planning on posting so close together but everything has been shut down around here due to two blizzards in one week.  
I figured I'd get some chapters posted before I have to get back to school and end up swamped with work. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  
It was a long one but hopefully the action made it interesting. I really appreciate all the kind reviews I've been getting, you guys are the best._

_ Also, everyone should really head on over and check out __**Carryon-vs**__.  
They have an amazing virtual season going on with so many fabulous authors (including the wonderful __**sendintheclowns**__) and very talented artists.  
I think you guys would really enjoy it and they deserve lots of love for their work!  
I know they've all been working so hard on it and I really appreciate__** sendintheclowns**__' help on this story despite all the work she's been doing over there._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This story is for the lovely _gidgetgal9_who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners_. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_and_blueeyedliz_for their support and beta and thanks to _gidgetgal9_for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s.** I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

~*~*~

Dave stared at the house for a few moments, trying to map out his moments as best he could. There wasn't much time but he'd take every second to make sure he did this right. The only thing that mattered was getting his girls out okay and he was willing to go down trying because if he didn't succeed there was no point in him living anyway.

Finally he stepped onto the porch and pushed the door open as quietly as possible. Upon entering the house he quickly rolled the small carpet back and etched out a devils trap before placing the rug back in place. He listened closely for any signs of movement but when greeted with silence he slowly crept through the house, book clutched close to his chest.

Just as he was making his way into the kitchen he heard the basement stairs creak, warning him that someone was coming. He ducked into the other room, flipping the book open as quickly as possible to find the page Bobby had marked.

The door opened and Dave bit back a gasp when he finally got a good look at the Demon's host. He took a deep breath and pulled the holy water from his pocket before quickly jumping into action, revealing himself to the Demon.

"About time you joined us, Davy." Her lips curled into a seductive smile as she casually inched closer to him, completely unsurprised by his arrival. "I knew you wouldn't decline my invitation."

"This was a trap?"

"You are the guest of honor." She steps right up to him, hand palming his chest. "Those girls of yours aren't nearly as fun as you."

"Why Winchester then?"

"Oh," She laughed. "He was a lucky surprise."

"You were in her the whole time?" Dave took a step back and pushed her hand away as he stared at the woman. "It was you?"

"You're a smart one, Davey."

"Why?"

"Well the suits just for fun, we demons have desires too you know." She winked at him as she extended her hand, reaching toward his face this time but Dave batted her arm away once again. "You know too much, Davey. You're getting too close. We have to eliminate the enemy."

"What are you talking about?" He took a few more steps back and smiled as she took the bait and stepped with him.

The demon tilted her head, eyes turning black as she stared at him for a moment before looking down the floor. She growled angrily at Dave and tried unsuccessfully to break the invisible barrier.

Dave shook his head with an evil snicker as he pulled back the edge of the rug, revealing a tiny portion of the trap. As the demon spewed curses at him he opened the book and quickly began reading. Though he tried, he hadn't missed all of the demons words.

"Those girls are going to be real important someday," The demon laughed. "They could help us win, just like Sam Winchester but he's become more of a pain lately."

"It won't happen." His voice raised as the ritual was forgotten, the demon successfully getting under his skin. "I won't let you have them."

"How will you stop us if you're dead, Dave?" She shook her head with a mocking frown. "Your little drawing may have stopped my physical movements but I learn something new each time I visit this disgusting place."

The demon closed her eyes, smile on her face as she lowered her head and began to chant something Dave couldn't make out. Suddenly there was a loud crash from the kitchen and Dave thought for a second that he heard a voice, maybe Bobby coming to tell him to abort the plan. Before he could think anymore about it, a loud roar erupted directly in front of him, his ears and face burning as he flew backwards, felt something smash against his back before the heat was suddenly gone and his head connected with something unforgiving, sending him into darkness.

~*~*~

Dean stared at the girls, their eyes now hypnotized by the glow and crackling of the fire. He adjusted Sam against his side, pulling his brother closer to him as he turned toward the house behind them. The frame was beginning to crumble, the roof already folding in as the fire ate away at the house.

"Bobby?" He turned toward the older hunter. "Was he…?"

"Yeah," Bobby pulled his cap off and rubbed his arm across his forehead. "We should go."

"We can't leave him here." Dean whispered. "Maybe he's alright."

"Dean," The older man nodded toward the house with sad eyes. "Ain't no one walking out of there boy."

"Then what do we do?"

"Get Sam to the hospital and report a fire."

Dean's eyes went wide and he shook his head, holding even tighter to his brother. Neither of them ever went to the hospital unless there was no way around it and Dean refused to admit that now was one of those times. However, as he cataloged Sam's injuries, he knew there was no other option this time.

He looked back at Bobby, feeling defeated, "What are we supposed to say?"

"The truth," Bobby held up a hand before he could argue. "Except we can leave the Demon out."

"So kidnapping?"

"And we're the heroes."

He was relieved to have gotten to his brother and the girls in time, but Dean felt nothing like a hero. They'd lost someone. Someone who still had a very important role in life and now with him gone, there were two orphaned little girls with nowhere to go.

One last look between his brother and the frightened girls beside him and Dean realized Bobby was right. He trusted Bobby and at that moment he knew the older man was much more capable of making decisions.

"Dean?" He felt the light tug of his shirt and looked down at the girls, having forgotten about their previous question.

More like he tried to ignore it.

"Mackenzie," Dean is startled when Sam speaks up but is thankful. "Daddy went to find Mommy."

Sam's voice was soft and Dean can't tell if it's due to the pain or an attempt to calm the girls but he assumes it was a mixture of the two. He watched Sam closely when he heard the quiet moan, realizing Sam had put a bit too much weight on his right leg, but his brother masked the pain quickly.

The girls stared at the adults curiously, eyes shining with tears, "Will he find her?"

"I hope so." Sam was biting his lip, body weight becoming even heavier against Dean.

"They're both in heaven now?"

"Yes," With that Sam's head dropped to his chest and Dean knew Sam was out once again.

He motioned for Bobby to move to Sam's other side, grateful for how gentle the older man was as he wrapped Sam's injured arm around his shoulder. Bobby quickly turned toward Dean, lifting Sam's leg with one arm as the other arm wrapped around to support Sam's upper body. Without argument, Dean did the same and was reminded once again why he trusted Bobby to make important decisions.

"Is Sam okay?" Mackenzie, Dean assumed, stepped closer to them and tilted her head up and to the side as she studied Sam.

"He will be, but we have to get him to the doctors." Dean wished he could do more for the girls, impressed with how calm they were considering, but he was focused on Sam.

"Can we help?" The other girl asked as she moved beside her sister, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

Dean looked at Bobby for a moment, a small smile curling at his dry lips, "Do you know how to use a flashlight?"

"We're five, not stupid." Mackenzie barked and Dean wanted to laugh at her attitude.

"Well then," He and Bobby gently lowered Sam's legs and pulled out their flashlights, handing one to each girl before lifting Sam once again. "You two are in charge of lighting our path."

The girls took the flashlights with proud smiles before their backs were turned to Bobby and Dean and a nice lit path was spread in front of them. Together the five of them slowly made their way back to the road, Dean and Bobby calling out directions for the girls. They made a few short stops as Dean or Bobby took a second to relieve their muscles of Sam's dead weight but eventually they made it.

Bobby helped Dean get Sam into the back seat so that Sam's legs were stretched out as much as possible in order to ease the younger man's pain. The girls reluctantly climbed into the front seat, wanting to stay in the back with Sam to make sure he was okay. Dean's chest tightened at the girls' obvious concern for his brother, but he wasn't about to all the girls to sit on the floor.

He slid into the driver's seat and waited to make sure Bobby was ready before he tore out of the driveway and headed back toward town. Thankfully they were only a few miles from town and that he had already made note of the local hospital so he had a general idea where he was going. He still wasn't looking forward to visiting yet another sterile prison, places he had become so familiar with.

~*~*~

After what felt like hours of interrogation and skeptical looks, Dean and Bobby were finally free to sit and worry in peace. It hadn't been so difficult explaining how Sam had been injured but the authorities were more concerned with the girls. Luck had it that Dave had left his wallet and cell phone in Bobby's truck which gave the cops enough proof that Bobby was a good friend of the girls' father.

Of course it helped that the girls were able to back their claims. Apparently they were extremely upset when one of the officers suggested that Dean, Bobby or Sam had hurt them. The men weren't allowed back into the room while the girls were being questioned but when the police came back out with odd smiles on their faces, Dean knew the girls had done well.

The police assured Dean and Bobby that the girls were just fine, mildly dehydrated and shaken, but otherwise fine. They were unable to give any word on Sam but promised that someone would be out shortly to update them on his condition.

They had also been informed that the fire had been extinguished and two bodies were recovered, along with an injured man who had collapsed in the fields. Police were unable to identify the bodies of course but would be analyzing dental records and using their fancy equipment.

Dean could save them a lot of time and money. He knew who the victims were and he knew the dumbass wondering the fields as well, though he wished it had been that son of a bitch inside the house instead. Dave didn't deserve what happened and maybe William's hadn't either, but he certainly seemed like a better choice in Dean's opinion.

It felt like forever as the two men sat in the hard plastic chairs, waiting for word on Sam or the release of the girls. Dean glanced at his watch for the thousandth time, groaning as he realized that it had already been nearly four hours since they had arrived.

He heard the doors fling open, hoping to see Sam's doctor but similarly happy to see the girls charging toward them, looking much healthier than they had. They seemed to have regained the normal energy of a five year old, though both were obviously still exhausted.

"Dean!" Two identical calls rang out through the waiting room and he instantly perked up as the two slammed into him. The nurse that escorted them simply smiled before she turned and headed back through the doors.

He didn't even think about it as he wrapped his arms around them, giving them a tight squeeze before he pulled away and looked down at them. They both gave him a tired smile before they started looking around, realizing that something, or someone, was missing. Dean's chest tightened once again as their eyes began to shine but he was quick to reassure them.

"Sam's okay," He whispered, hugging them close again. "The doctor's going to come tell us how he's doing any second now."

As if on cue the doors opened once again and a doctor emerged with a clipboard held close to his chest. He caught Dean's eye and smiled before heading over toward them, apparently already familiar with them and their situation.

The doctor nodded to the men and smiled brightly at the girls who were now sitting in Dean's lap, staring intently at the man before them. Dean easily picked up on how tense the girls had become and assumed they hated hospitals just as much as the Winchesters, not that he could blame them. They most likely had paid as many visits as Dean and Sam.

"First let me assure you that Sam is fine and should be awake shortly." Dean and Bobby sighed in relief and the girls seemed to relax a bit. "He has a mild concussion, which is the only reason we'll need to keep him over night, and a few bruises around his lower back."

"'Cause that lady threw him into the wall." Meghan spoke up, instantly turning into Dean's shoulder when she realized she had interrupted the doctor.

Luckily the man nodded with a small smile, assuring the girls that he was not angry.

"He is very strong." The girls nodded, Dean smiled and Bobby huffed out a laugh as the doctor continued. "Sam's left wrist is broken but it was a clean break and easy to set. His right ankle is fractured but we were able to perform minimally invasive surgery so we'll be able to send him home with a Cam Walker which will allow him to remain mobile while the ankle heals. He also has two broken ribs that will heal nicely as long as he takes it easy. Those will probably cause him the most discomfort in the next couple of weeks but I'll leave proper instructions for you before he's discharged. Most of his injuries may be explained by a fall and we were unable to find any signs of struggle but that doesn't mean someone else isn't responsible for his injuries."

"It was the lady." Mackenzie spoke up this time as she curled her little hands into fists. "She hurt Sam and she took Daddy."

Dean rubbed her back gently, trying to calm the little girl but was stunned by her words. He hadn't figured the girls fully understood what had happened. Sam did his best to explain but Dean assumed there would be more questions before the girls would fully comprehend. He of all people should know how wise to death you become when one of your parents is snatched from you. It doesn't become any easier but you become more prepared.

"When can we see Sam?" Dean asked, both girls now resting against his shoulders.

"I'll be happy to take you back now if you'd like."

"That'd be great." He nodded to Bobby who stood up and carefully grabbed one of the girls from Dean, allowing Dean to stand with the other securely tucked in his arms.

He knew the exhaustion was finally wearing on the girls and he hoped they would finally give in and let themselves sleep. Though another thing Dean knew was that little kids never wanted to miss anything and he doubted either of the girls would sleep well without being able to see Sam first. Dean couldn't argue though because he was just as eager to see his little brother. There was still a lot the two of them needed to discuss.

~*~*~

"He's okay?" Mackenzie lifted her head off Dean's shoulder and he nodded as he brought the little girl closer to the bed.

"He's just sleeping." He sat her down gently on the edge of the bed beside Sam, Bobby doing the same with Meghan on the other side.

The room fell silent as all eyes focused on Sam, his right leg elevated, left wrist casted, and skin looking unnervingly pale in contrast to the hospital sheets. Dean took comfort in the steady beat of the monitor beside the bed and the even rise and fall of Sam's chest that would most likely be painful once Sam awoke.

Meghan was the first to notice when Sam twitched, eyes slowly blinking as his head turned to the side with a soft moan. She was on her knees instantly, supported by Bobby behind her as she waved her hand innocently in front of Sam's face.

Dean laughed quietly when Sam's eyes focused on the tiny hand in front of him, his brother's eyes scrunched up in confusion before he turned a bit more and saw the child beside him. The smile on Sam's face was such a relief to see that Dean let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and allowed himself the fall back into his chair.

"You're awake!" Both girls squealed as they tried to move up the bed to hug Sam.

Dean and Bobby jumped into action, both hopping up to grab the girls before they could aggravate Sam's injuries. The smile on Sam's face fell as the girls tried to wiggle their way back to him.

"Sam's still hurting guys," Dean set Mackenzie back down on the bed, trying to keep her still as much as he could. "You have to be careful."

"We're sorry," Meghan whispered as she curled her small hand around one of Sam's slightly exposed fingers of his left hand.

"It's okay," Sam smiled. "I'm really happy to see you guys."

"We're happy to see you too!" The men laughed at her enthusiasm and Dean noticed Sam's face twist in discomfort but he quickly masked it. "You were right too."

"Right about what?"

"Dean is a lot like Superman," Mackenzie looked up at Dean and smiled before turning back to Sam. "But you're a superhero too. You can be Prince Phillip."

Dean laughed at Mackenzie's response as well as the blush on Sam's cheeks.

"Who is Prince Phillip, Mackenzie?"

"He's the one who saved Princess Aurora, duh."

Dean stared at the little girl in front of him as she shook her head, Sam and Bobby smiling behind her. He was still confused and had no idea who she was talking about but he didn't dare ask because he could tell Sam was trying extremely hard not to laugh at him.

Before Dean could say anything else Bobby cleared his throat, "I think we all need something to eat and hospital food is not my first choice. Why don't the girls and I go pick something up and sneak it back in? What do you two say?"

The girls looked between Dean and Sam before turning back to Bobby with excited nods. Dean could tell they didn't really want to leave but he suspected they were extremely hungry and the idea of being sneaky was probably thrilling to them.

"Alright then," Bobby picked Meghan up and held her over Sam, who smiled and gave the girl the tightest hug he could. "We'll be back."

Mackenzie held her arms up to Dean and he laughed, picking her up and holding her over Sam as well. Sam repeated his actions, masking his discomfort as he tugged at his sore muscles. The little girl smiled and gave Sam a kiss on the cheek before she turned in Dean's arms, giving him a quick hug. He hugged her back and tickled her softly, causing her to giggle before she wiggled her way out of his arms and ran over to Bobby and Meghan.

Bobby nodded toward Dean and Sam as he opened the door, grabbed the girls' hands and headed out into the hallway. Dean laughed as he heard the girls whisper something softly, followed by Bobby's gruff laugh and Dean knew they were all in trouble. Those girls already had them wrapped around their fingers.

"Superman?" Dean sat back down in the chair beside Sam and smiled at his brother.

"Don't let it go to your head."

The two of them smiled at each other but remained silent. Dean knew he had a lot to say and he could tell Sam was waiting for it as well but he didn't have the words ready yet. All Dean wanted to do was sit back and take in the fact that his brother was okay but he realized that he almost didn't have this chance. He realized that he had to say it now before he was out of chances.

Sam was staring at him knowingly, eyes blinking open slower and Dean instinctively reached up, cupping Sam's shoulder. When their eyes met Dean smiled softly but then lowered his eyes, rubbing his free hand through his short, disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry, Sammy." He wasn't sure if the words were loud enough but when Sam's uninjured hand latched onto his arm, squeezing gently, he knew Sam had heard. "I've been real jackass lately."

"As opposed to before?" Dean lifted his head and raised an eyebrow as Sam smiled. "You've always been a jackass, Dean."

"Real nice," He shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "I'm trying to apologize and you're making fun of me."

"You don't have anything to apologize for though."

"If I hadn't been so caught up in being a jerk then we wouldn't have split up."

"I suggested it."

"I agreed."

"And I'm a big boy, Dean." Sam let go of Dean's arm and tried to sit up better but winced in pain. "Look, we both knew splitting up wasn't a good idea but we're both okay. Neither of us have been thinking straight lately. We're allowed to make a few mistakes."

"Our mistake almost got you killed."

"Our mistake, Dean. This isn't on your head. If anything it's my fault for letting my guard down."

"I'm still sorry, Sam." He squeezed Sam's shoulder gently. "No matter how nasty I've been, as soon as I realized something was wrong, getting to you was the only thing that mattered. What I'm trying to say is that I… well, I'll always-"

"I know," Sam nodded with a knowing smile and Dean silently thanked him. "I never doubted you, dude."

Dean smiled, pleased that Sam understand without him having to say anything. He was definitely not good with words and even though he'd been horrible at showing it, somehow his brother still knew that Dean loved him. Nothing would ever change that.

"What about Dave?" Sam's eyes darkened and Dean shook his head. "What are we going to do with the girls?"

"I don't know, Sam. They don't have any family that we know of."

"We can't just leave them with someone else."

"We can't exactly take two five year olds on the road with us either."

"They lost their dad. They need us."

Sam words dug deep and Dean knew he had chosen them on purpose. The two of them knew too well how painful it was to lose a parent, especially when they were your only one left. Dean didn't want to leave the girls either but he wasn't sure what other options they had.

"You know Child Services will come for them." Dean warned, knowing how the system worked.

"We can get out of here before they do."

"You're not ready to leave yet."

"Oh please," Sam rolled his eyes. "When are we ever ready when we ditch the hospital? We should leave tonight. Go back to Bobby's. The girls will be safe there."

"You're too attached, man." Dean stood up and backed away from the bed, pacing back and forth. "How do you expect to care for them? We can't do this."

"They trust us, Dean. We have to help them."

He stopped pacing and turned back to Sam, seeing the earnest concern and knowing full well that Sam was right. Those girls had lost the only family they had and there was no way they could leave them in the hands of strangers.

"Fine," Dean sat back in the chair, head dropping into his hands. "We'll talk to Bobby."

When he looked back up he saw Sam smile and he realized he was screwed. Neither of them had any idea how to take care of one five year old let alone two but they would learn. After all, Dean had done it before. It couldn't have changed that much and Sam seemed to be really good with them. They could make this work. He just hoped Bobby agreed.

**To Be Continued…**

_Thank you all for reading! I hope I'm keeping everyone's interest but I know not every chapter can be action packed. This was one of my favorites though because I love the interactions with Sam and the girls.  
I sincerely apologize for any false medical information, legal information or if the reaction the characters have is not what you expected. I try really hard to make stories as true to reality as I can but I'm not a doctor and I'm not a lawyer.  
I do work with children though and am studying Early Childhood Education in school so I've learned quite a bit about how the mind of a child works.  
That's not to say I know everything, and I know that what you learn in books isn't always 100% fact._

_Huge thank yous and hugs to __**blueeyedliz **__and __**gidgetgal9**__ for their birthday fics! They are amazing authors and awesome friends. I'm so lucky!  
You all should go read any of their stories because they're quite awesome! _


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** This story is for the lovely _gidgetgal9 _who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners_. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_ and_ blueeyedliz_for their support and beta and thanks to _gidgetgal9_for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s.** I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

~*~*~

They had fallen silent shortly after Dean caved and Sam was thankful for the silence. He knew Dean was still blaming himself, it didn't matter what Sam said, but he was just too tired to keep repeating himself. Dean would go into over-protective-big-brother-mode and eventually wear himself out until he fell right back into grieving-short-tempered mode. Sam knew the pattern.

A soft knock at the door pulled Sam from his thoughts, "May I come in?"

He looked at Dean, waiting for his brother to answer since he really wasn't in the position of knowing who was friend or foe. He also wasn't in the mood for another meeting with a demon, so he let Dean take the lead.

"Hey, Doc." Sam saw Dean smile and was shocked at the honesty behind it. Dean had never been much for doctors.

"It's good see you're awake, Sam." The doctor smiled at the two of them as he moved toward the foot of Sam's bed, clipboard held close to his chest. "How are you feeling?"

He could feel Dean's intense stare, watching him and waiting for a lie but Sam kept his attention on the doctor. "I'm just a bit sore."

"That's to be expected. Are you up to some instructions for your care after we set you free?"

"Definitely," Sam tugged himself into a sitting position, or at least he tried. A sharp pain pulled in his chest and he ended up right back where he was, laying flat against the bed. Of course Dean was up in a second, hand clasping his shoulder while Dean played with the controls on the bed, adjusting it so Sam was sitting up. "Thanks."

"As I told your brother, the ankle fracture will require that you wear a walking cast for a few weeks, just until it heals properly. A nurse will bring one by after I finished here and help you get it adjusted as well as show you how to dress the incision. It's a lot more comfortable than a typical cast and you shouldn't need crutches. The cast on your wrist will have to stay on for about three to four weeks but it's the broken ribs you really need to be careful of. "

Sam felt rather rude as he started drifting off while the doctor was speaking but when one's been to hospitals as often as he has, the drill becomes monotonous. Doctors always look at them a bit funny when they pass on the demonstrations, but it was a waste of time when Dean, Sam and Bobby already knew how to care for any type of wound with perfection.

"He'll be in good hands, Doc." Dean thankfully stopped the man before he could continue and luckily the Doctor nodded with a smile. "Thank you for everything."

"I'll have a nurse come up with your cast and I'll be back up before my shift ends." He made a few notes on his chart and placed it in the slot at the foot of Sam's bed before he turned toward the door with a smile. "Oh, but one more thing, with broken ribs you are susceptible to pneumonia and other bronchial infections. Be aware of any changes in your breathing."

Sam nodded but he could see the worry intensify on Dean's face beside him. Once the doctor was out of the room he turned slowly toward Dean and tried his best to give a reassuring smile but his brother didn't seem to be buying it. Dean knew everything the doctor had just said but hearing it out loud seemed to make it real to his brother, which only caused him to be more concerned. Sam saw a long couple of weeks ahead, with lots of mothering and little freedom.

"I've had broken ribs before, Dean." He reasoned but Dean didn't seem appeased in the least.

"Yeah," Dean nodded but his facial features were tight and twisted with concern. "I'm going to go call Bobby so we can get out once you get your cast. You sure you're ready?"

"I'm sure, Dean. CPS is probably already sniffing around."

"They're probably just giving the girls some time; figure we won't do anything while you're in the hospital."

"How wrong they are."

"Indeed, my brother." Dean finally smiled and gently patted Sam on the knee. "I'll be back shortly. Don't go anywhere."

Sam laughed as Dean headed out of the room but as soon as the door shut, he fell back against the bed with a sigh. Over the years Sam had become pretty skilled at hiding things when he wanted to but he also learned that hiding injuries from Dean was never a good idea. However, hiding pain from an already guilty and worried Dean seemed to work out fine.

He'd spent weeks seeing nothing but grief when he looked at Dean and now he knew all he'd see was guilt if he actually looked long enough. Dean teased him about being an open book but his brother didn't realize how easily Sam could read him as well. Worry was one thing but Sam hated the guilt, he hated that Dean blamed himself for every little thing. Sam never knew how to fix it, how to convince him. At least he could work with Dean's grief, but guilt was a different story.

"Mr. Howard?" Sam's head shot up as the door to his room opened and a short, female nurse walked in. "Dr. Davis asked me to help you with your walking cast."

"Right." He nodded as she walked closer, a large boot held in her hands. It amazed him how many medical advances have been made just since he was younger but he thought this one might be the best yet. As odd as the thing looked, he liked the idea of actually being able to move without the need for crutches that never were tall enough for him anyways.

She helped him put the cast on, showing him how to adjust the tightness as the swelling goes down, as well as the angle of the ankle support. It wasn't very complicated but Sam still had a hard time following long, sleep tempting to make him crash in the middle of the nurse's demonstration. Finally she was finished and Sam thanked her as she left him with a small booklet before leaving him alone in the room.

He wasn't real surprised when the door opened only seconds later as Dean walked back in, smug smile on his face. Sam was fairly certain he knew what the smile was about, but Sam could deal with Dean's compulsive flirting if it meant Dean would smile for awhile. It was a much better look then the brooding Dean from earlier.

"Ready to ditch this joint?" Dean's smile widened as held up a stuffed paper bag. "I scored some of the good meds."

Sam shook his head with a laugh as he tried to carefully move his legs over the side of the bed. He only moved a few inches before he had to stop and take a few deep, but slow, breaths. Dean quickly came to his side, helping Sam by supporting his upper body as Sam worked on moving his legs.

Eventually Sam was sitting up on the side of the bed, feeling like someone dropped a bowling ball on his chest. He kept his hand curled around Dean's forearm as his brother carefully helped him off the bed and onto his feet. Surprisingly, that was the easy part.

"Think you can make it without a wheelchair?"

"I'm good." He wheezed with a tight smile. "Let's make our great escape."

~*~*~

Sam was perfectly fine with letting Dean support him as they snuck out of the hospital. It wasn't exactly sneaking since they just walked out in plain sight. Seemed no one questioned departures as the staff was more concerned with those arriving. He knew they would care when they found out that Sam Howard's insurance wasn't going to pay.

He smiled when they finally reached the parking garage, Bobby and the girls waiting for them. The girls were sitting on the back hatch of Bobby's truck, their legs swinging in time with each other's, and Bobby was leaning beside them with a smile on his face. He stood up as soon as he saw Sam and Dean, heading over to Sam's other side and helping him toward the car.

"You look like hell, Sam." Bobby smiled at him and Sam sent him a playful glare.

"I feel it," He said softly, watching Dean tense up beside him. "But I'm good. Ready to get on the road."

"Where are we going?" Mackenzie asked, her hazel eyes focused on Sam.

"We're going to go stay at Bobby's for awhile." He pulled away from Bobby and Dean, slowly hobbling over to the girls. "Is that okay?"

"We can stay with you?" Meghan scooted closer to her sister as she watched Sam closely.

"Of course. You two aren't getting rid of me."

He moved himself in front of the girls and gently cupped both of their necks, smiling as they leaned into him. Their tiny arms gently wrapped around him and he was surprised at how gentle they both were. When he looked down, both girls looked up at him with what he thought was a sad smile, their chins resting against his abdomen.

His hand moved through their wavy hair as they both buried their head into his shirt. He wasn't surprised when the material started to feel slightly wet and their shoulders began to hitch with sobs. They clung to him a little tighter but instead of pulling back, Sam tightened his hold as well and forgot about his own discomfort.

They didn't exactly have time for this since hospital security would be out looking for them soon, but none of the men rushed the girls. Sam knew they hadn't grieved for their father yet, too caught up in the adrenaline of their rescue. Now that they were finally given the chance, Sam wasn't about to stop them.

Luckily it only took a few moments for the girls to wear themselves out, their tears turning silent as they slumped against Sam. He nodded to Dean and Bobby who moved beside him, carefully pulling the girls from Sam. He didn't want to let go of them but he knew there was no way he could carry them without his injuries punishing him for it.

"Why don't you boys take my truck and I'll drive the Impala?" Sam almost laughed at Bobby's suggestion, especially the look on Dean's face.

"What?" Dean's eyes went large and he shook his head rather comically. "Why?"

"My truck has seat belts."

"So?"

"Dean," Sam placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and smiled. "Laws changed since we were little. They need seat belts."

"Are you saying I'm a bad driver?" Dean glared at him and Sam slowly dropped his hand with a shake of his head as he turned around and moved toward the passenger side of Bobby's truck.

"Fine," Sam smiled as Dean's shoulder slumped in defeat. Bobby and Dean carefully placed the sleepy girls in the middle of the bench, Bobby securing the wide seat belt around both of them. Sam wanted to decline Dean's assistance but he reluctantly allowed his brother to help him up into the passenger seat, knowing he would have been in a lot of pain had he done it by himself.

"You two follow me. It's about a ten hour drive," Bobby stood by the open driver's door as Dean climbed into the truck. "I reckon those girls are gonna need a break, especially since we never made it to get food, so give me a call if we need to pull over."

"Will do," Sam nodded toward the older hunter as Dean turned the keys in the ignition.

"Be careful." He smiled as Bobby backed away, carefully shutting the driver's door before heading toward the Impala. Dean was watching him just as closely, his hands gripping tightly to the steering wheel as Bobby pulled out of the parking spot with Dean's baby.

"He'll take good care of her, Dean."

"He better."

~*~*~

Sam had given up on getting comfortable after only a few minutes on the road. His ribs were making it difficult to sit any other way except straight and with Sam's height it was hard to rest his head comfortably.

Meghan was leaning against him sound asleep, her head resting on his side. He reflexively wrapped his arm around her, keeping her close despite his aching ribs. When he looked over towards Mackenzie she too was asleep in a much similar position, her head resting against Dean's side.

He smiled slightly at how comfortable the girls seemed to be with them. Back at the house he had never expected to be taking the girls with them. He thought they would get out, the girls would go home with their father and Dean and Sam would just become a bad memory. It hadn't gone that way and now Sam felt responsible for the girls. He was just glad Dean was there to help and by the smile on Dean's face, Sam was fairly certain his brother didn't mind.

Mackenzie stirred against Dean's side, stretching out her tired limbs as she slowly opened her eyes and rubbed away the sleep and dried tears. She looked up at Dean first and then to Sam before her sleepy frown turned into a tired smile.

"Are we there, yet?"

Sam laughed, regretting it as his ribs protested the movement. "Not yet. We still have a few hours."

"I'm hungry." He looked down at Meghan when her small voice joined their conversation.

"Me too." Dean turned toward Sam and the girls for just a second, a smile on his face as his right hand rubbed at his stomach. "I could eat a horse."

The girls both sat up quickly, their eyes going wide as they turned toward Sam in horror. He shook his head with a laugh, "He's just kidding."

"He doesn't really eat horses, right?"

"No but sometimes he eats little girls," He winked at the two of them before tickling Meghan with the exposed fingers on his left hand, Dean doing the same to Mackenzie.

The girls giggled, squirming around as much as they could and trying to push the assaulting hands away. When Dean and Sam finally stopped, both girls were out of breath but still giggling as they slumped back against the seat.

"Now I have to go potty."

Sam laughed so hard, more wheezing than laughing, that he was pretty sure he would have to use the restroom as well and he only laughed harder when Dean groaned and pulled out his cell phone. He could hear the snicker on the other line as his own laughter slowly died down and he realized that their life was definitely not going to be the same. Despite the increased pain in his chest, Sam smiled at the girls, perfectly content with the change. He suspected having two five year olds around would make life extremely interesting and for once it wouldn't be in the scary, horror sense.

~*~*~

"I got Mator!" Mackenzie pulled the toy out her box and held it toward Sam. "He's my favorite"

Sam eyed the toy but had absolutely no idea what it was. He grabbed the meal box and read over the sides, seeing the advertisement for an animated Disney movie. Apparently Disney was animating cars now instead of people or animals.

"Which one did you get, Meghan?" He grabbed the plastic wrapped toy from Mackenzie and pulled it open, handing her the toy as he turned toward her sister.

"The same." She held her toy towards Sam, not quite as enthusiastic as Mackenzie.

"Is he not your favorite?"

"I like Sally. She's the girl."

Sam just smiled as he handed her back the toy but he was having a hard time discussing cars as if they were humans. He had no problem talking about fairy tales or other childish cartoons but some things were a bit too farfetched, even for him.

He heard Dean laughing and when he looked up his brother was staring at him, one cheese burger already devoured. "I thought you knew this Disney stuff, Sam?"

"Real funny," He tried acting annoyed but he still smiled as he finally dug into his own food.

The girls munched on their food as they played quietly with their toys. It was pretty obvious that they were starving from the way they focused on their food, forgetting any conversation. Sam didn't know much but he knew five year olds were usually extremely chatty. That was a fact from their childhood that Dean had no problem sharing with him.

When Meghan and Mackenzie were finished eating they both pulled themselves up onto their knees and turned toward Sam, wide eyes pleading with him. "Can we play in the play place?"

Without even thinking he simply gave in with a nod and the girls squealed as they hopped off their chairs and ran toward the play area. When he looked up at Dean and Bobby both were sitting with smug smiles on their faces.

"What?"

"You're a sucker." Dean shook his head as he finished up his second order of fries.

Bobby nodded in agreement, "Just like Dean."

Sam's annoyance disappeared as he carefully sat up straighter with a smug smile of his own. He saw Dean turned to Bobby with a glare, his cheeks going a light shade of pink as he turned back to his fries.

"He gave in to whatever you asked."

"I did not!" Dean dropped his fries as he defended himself.

"It's okay, Dean," Sam smiled as he nudged Dean's leg under the table. "I know you're a big softie.

"Shut up."

Sam and Bobby chuckled as Dean returned to his food, grumbling under his breath about annoying little brothers and snooty old men. Eventually they fell silent, all three watching the girls as they ran around the play place, both waving periodically before sliding down the swirly slide.

His childhood hadn't been all laughter and smiles but he remembered spending times like this with Dean. He remembered his brother reluctantly walking him to the closest playground, sitting on the bench as he watched Sam climb the jungle gym and pull himself across the monkey bars. He didn't remember Dean ever playing, unless of course Sam bugged him when there weren't any other kids to play with.

"Maybe there's a great aunt or uncle who would be willing to take the girls." Sam snapped out of his daze and turned toward Bobby when the older man spoke up. "There's got to be someone in the distant family."

"But what if there isn't? Sam stared at the man, daring him to argue. "We can't ship them off with just anyone. They can't be with strangers."

"We're strangers."

"No." He shook his head, eyes drifting toward the table. "They know us, trust us. I'm responsible for them."

"Sammy," Dean was the one to speak this time, standing up and moving into the chair beside Sam. "What happened to their father wasn't your fault; it wasn't any of our faults. You're not responsible for those girls and it might be best if we find somewhere more accommodating for them to stay."

"Accommodating?" He laughed bitterly. "We could accommodate just fine, but you don't want to adjust your life style."

"This is what we do Sam. We can't just put evil on hold to take care of five year olds, especially when neither of us knows the first thing about it."

"You did it before, Dean, and you know you were good at it."

"That was different!"

"How?"

"You're my brother," Dean squeezed his forearm gently. "I was responsible for you; I had to take care of you."

"So that's the only reason you did it? To fill an obligation?"

"No! Damn it, Sam." He turned toward Dean slowly, taken aback by his brother's obvious frustration and anger. "I took care of you because I wanted to protect you, wanted to make sure no one ever took you from us."

"I want to do the same for them."

"But someone could take them from us. We don't have a right to care for them."

"So we just give them up."

"We should," Dean sighed, his hand falling from Sam's arm. "Before we, and they, get too attached."

"They're not puppies, Dean!" Sam twisted in his seat but his argument was silenced as the pain that pulsed through his body had him gasping, trying to breathe through the worst of it. Dean's hand found its way onto his back, rubbing small and calming circles.

Once he was able to breathe easier, he settled for turning his head toward his brother with a sad smile. "I'm already attached and I don't want to give them up."

"You know this is a huge responsibility right?" Dean didn't argue this time and Sam felt his smile widen.

"I think if you could do it at 9, we can do it now." Sam's eyes found the girls once again, both oblivious to the tense conversation going on at the table.

"We'll look into other family," He had a protest on the tip of his tongue but Dean quickly silenced him. "If we don't find anyone then we'll work it out, but if we find someone then we will discuss it with the girls. We'll give them the choice."

"Fair enough." Sam smiled and then turned toward Bobby. "He really is a sucker isn't he?"

Dean playfully slapped his shoulder and Bobby's deep laugh boomed through the restaurant, the girls even stopped to see what the commotion was about. Sam smiled and motioned for them to return to the table. They quickly rushed back, dodging the other tables and chairs before coming to a stop beside Sam's chair.

"You two ready to get going?"

They both nodded enthusiastically, grabbing their toys from the table as the men started to clear away the trash. Sam hobbled out the door with Mackenzie clutching his hand, Meghan holding Bobby's. The group climbed into the cars again, ready to finish the last leg of the trip, and Sam was thankful that there were only another four five hours left.

Sam draped his arm across both girls' shoulders as Meghan leaned against him and Mackenzie against her. He smiled as their eyes started to blink closed, obviously tuckered out from running around the play area. They had slept the first half of the trip but Sam suspected that wasn't nearly enough to make up for the exhaustion their little bodies were feeling.

"You used to fall asleep so easily when you were little." He looked up with a smile as Dean's gruff voice broke the silence.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Dean kept his attention on the road but he smiled affectionately. "Dad would start the Impala and you'd be out like a light. Used to be how we'd calm you down when you were having a rough day."

"I didn't know that."

He turned away from Dean with a slight blush on his cheeks and a smile curling at his lips. Sam knew Dean was just as attached as he was, especially now that his brother was definitely becoming nostalgic. He enjoyed this side of Dean though, enjoyed hearing the stories that only Dean or their father knew. It wasn't often that his brother shared such fond memories with him but Sam always liked seeing the smile and happiness that accompanied those moments.

A part of Sam was looking forward to sharing similar moments with the girls, even though another part of him felt wrong for being happy with the situation. He was sorry that Dave died, wished more than anything that things had gone differently, but Sam felt a spark of life with the girls beside him. A spark he hadn't felt in a really long time.

**To Be Continued…**

_Thanks a bunch for reading and for all the reviews! I'm so glad you all are enjoying it!_

_Only two more chapters left! _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** This story is for the lovely _gidgetgal9 _who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners_. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_ and_ blueeyedliz_for their support and beta and thanks to _gidgetgal9_for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s.** I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

**#2 A/N:** I'm a bit nervous for this chapter since it could be either really enjoyable for you guys or you all could find it extremely dull. I hope it's the first one but if it's not then hang in there, please! I promise the ending is worth it and there's only one more chapter!

~*~*~

"Sam!"

His sleep was suddenly interrupted by the loud, but excited screaming as he heard the pounding of little feet running down the hallway. The girls giggled, quietly pushing the door open, as if he hadn't already heard them coming, and slowly tiptoed to his bedside.

Sam waited till they were right by his head, leaning over slightly to try and see his face, before he bent his arm up and tickled one of them on the side. They both screamed and flew back from the bed but the scream quickly turned into laughter as Sam turned to them with a smile.

"Good morning." He chuckled as they slowly came closer, jumping slightly when he flinched his arm.

"It's not morning anymore," Meghan shook her head with laugh and Sam's smile widened at the pleasant sound. "Dean said we could wake you for lunch. We had breakfast hours ago but you missed it because you're a sleepyhead."

He wasn't really shocked that he'd slept so late. They hadn't arrived at Bobby's until sometime after midnight and Dean had insisted he take his pain medication before bed. The fact that he was exhausted, plus the drug induced drowsiness had definitely added up to a long, much needed rest.

The pain in his chest was a dull ache, his wrist and ankle practically numb and his head was no longer throbbing. He didn't remember waking up at all but he knew Dean had made sure he took another dose when called for, there was no way he was feeling this good without the help of those powerful meds Dean had confiscated.

"Lunch is ready, girls." Dean managed to step into the room complete unnoticed but Sam blamed it on the drugs again. "You two go on down and keep Bobby company. We'll be down shortly, okay?"

They nodded, giving Sam a headache just watching them, and then turned back toward the bed with a timid smile.

"Dean said we had to be careful but can we hug you?"

It took him a moment to actually reply, his mind working to explain the overwhelming emotions that were rushing through his body. He knew his smile probably looked extremely silly but Dean didn't laugh and the girls simply shuffled closer to him, their own smiles growing.

"I would really like that."

Mackenzie rushed around to his other side and threw her arms gently around his neck. Both of them smiled wide and bright, showing off their beautiful dimples. He curled his arms up and ran his fingers through the back of her hair as Meghan joined in the hug. They stayed like that for what only felt like seconds to Sam except when Dean cleared his throat and he realized, judging by the increasing discomfort in his chest, that it had been much longer.

The girls reluctantly pulled back, smiling at Sam once more before rushing past Dean and down the hallway. He heard Bobby shout for them to stop running and they shouted back their apologies with a bit too much enthusiasm. When he looked back up at Dean, he knew he wasn't the only one enjoying the moment.

"I figured you might need some help."

"I might," Sam smiled as he carefully shifted his legs over the side of the bed, finding it much easier this time than at the hospital. "The problem's going to be sitting up."

"Such a baby." Despite the insult, Dean moved to Sam's side and carefully placed an arm beneath his shoulders, slowly helping him move into a sitting position.

It took him a few seconds to adjust to the pain and to steady his breathing. He forgot how much of a nuisance broken ribs were. He could deal with the pain, having learned over the years, but because they messed with the ability to breathe correctly, broken ribs made everything feel much more difficult than usual.

Dean kept a calming hand on his back the whole time, rubbing gently in a steady pattern and quietly coaching Sam as he regulated his breathing.

Once he was back to breathing as best he could, he reluctantly allowed Dean to help him with his clothes. Luckily Dean was kind enough to leave him a bit of pride and only insisted on helping him with his shirt and walking cast, which was a brilliant idea but a pain to take off and extremely bulky. When it came time for his pants, Dean had thankfully stepped outside; waiting in the hallways just case he was needed.

It took much longer than usual and caused him a lot of pain but he managed, carful of the stitches on his ankle. He carefully sat back down on the bed and called Dean back in because there was no way he was getting the cast back on by himself.

Without any smartass remarks, Dean knelt down on the floor and carefully rolled Sam's pants up to the knee. He expertly removed the dressing, cleaned the incision, applied a healthy amount of Neosporin and redressed Sam's ankle in no time.

Sam tried to help as much as he could but he could barely lift his leg as Dean slipped the boot back on, tightening all the straps perfectly. His brother hadn't even been in the room when the nurse showed him how to adjust the cast but it didn't shock him that Dean knew just how it worked, as well as how to fit it right to his leg.

He looked down at his leg once the cast was on, his pants rolled up to his knee and his toes peeking out.

"I look like a dork."

"No more than usual."

Dean carefully helped him up off the bed but moved away, even if it was just a few inches, and allowed Sam to walk out of the room without the added support. Surprisingly, he made it all the way to the stairs but gave in and let Dean help him hobble down the steps, one foot at a time.

By the time they reached the kitchen he was out of breath, wheezing slightly. Dean easily maneuvered him to the chair and repeated his actions from earlier until Sam's breathing was normal once again.

"Hey, kid." Bobby placed a bowl of hot soup in front of him and Sam resisted the urge to kiss the man as his stomach rumbled with gratitude. "Didn't know how your stomach would be with those meds. Hope soups alright."

"It's perfect, Bobby, thank you." He smiled at the older man and greedily slurped up the broth.

"Way to set an example, dude."

Dean nudged him playfully and laughed along with the girls and Bobby, all four looking at him as he ate. He wiped his napkin across his chin and looked up at them with a smile, cheeks going red with embarrassment.

"I'm hungry." He shrugged his shoulders and winked at the girls before returning to the delicious soup in front of him.

"Obviously," Dean smiled and handed him another napkin, which he graciously accepted. "You think you're up for a trip into town?"

"What for?"

"We have to get some things for the girls, specifically clothes."

Sam saw the girls light up, both of them bouncing in their seats. He smiled at the two of them, realizing that they were in the same change of the clothes from yesterday, the only change of clothes that Dave had thankfully packed in the duffle bag that had been left in Bobby's truck.

He nodded in reply as he shoved another spoonful into his mouth. Shopping with his brother was interesting enough when they were just going to pick up replacement jeans for themselves. He was curious how Dean expected them to shop for two five year old girls. Neither of them had a clue, which meant their trip was bound to be an interesting learning experience.

He just hoped they would make it out with a little sanity left.

~*~*~

Sam felt slightly awkward as the four of them walked into the department store. He pulled a cart out from the stacks and the girls immediately latched on to the sides, which comforted him yet made it all feel even more uncomfortable.

It was hard to miss the looks they were getting as he and the girls followed behind Dean. He had gotten used to people assuming what they want about him and his brother and despite his discomfort he couldn't deny how domestic this scene had to look to an outsider. He was just waiting for Dean to notice.

However, it didn't seem to faze Dean so Sam tried to let it slip his mind as well. He ignored the longer than usual stares and poorly concealed whispers as they walked by, just wanting to get their shopping done and get out.

Dean stopped in the little girls section, his face looking paler than usual as Sam watched him look around at the immense collection of clothing. Sam was fairly certain he had never seen so much pink in his life and he knew his brother was thinking the same thing.

"What do we do now?"

He turned to Dean who had moved beside him and shrugged his shoulders. The girls were bouncing on their heels, smiles wide as they stared at all the clothing. He felt extremely out of his element and he knew the trip was only going to keep getting worse.

Suddenly he realized that they had no idea what size the girls wore which meant they were going to have let the girls try the outfits on, which meant Sam or Dean would have to go in the dressing room with them, which mean they were going to have the change the girls. He felt rather ridiculous that changing the girls was his biggest fear. Dean had helped them yesterday with no problem but Sam was completely freaked out by the idea. Surely that wasn't appropriate for him to do, right? He shouldn't be changing little girls.

Obviously his breathing had speed up, which caused strain on his ribs and raised Dean's big brother awareness. Dean's hand was on his back in a second, rubbing those damn calming circles again except that they were only making things worse. The contact from his big brother would only add to the assumptions of the people around them.

He tried reminding himself that it didn't matter. It had never really bothered him before but today was different somehow. He was realizing how bad of an idea this trip was. He should have just let Dean come alone.

"Relax, dude."

When he finally got his breathing under control and opened his eyes, which he didn't know were closed, Dean and the girls were watching him closely. He smiled at them nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck as Dean's worry morphed into a teasing smile.

He watched as Dean placed a gentle hand on Meghan's shoulder before carefully pulling back the color of her shirt and revealing the tag, making sure that Sam could see it too. Dean tucked it back in, tickling Meghan's neck as he did so, before moving over toward one of the display racks.

"Do you girls like this shirt?" They both smiled and nodded with excitement and Dean picked up two of them, throwing them into the cart as he turned toward Sam. "See, simple."

Sam shook his head with a smile, amazed that his brother knew him far too well but also embarrassed for the same reason.

"They don't always have to match, Dean." He looked down at the girls who were staring at him in confusion. "Do you two like to dress the same or would you like to pick out different clothes?"

They looked at each other then turned back to Sam with wide smiles, "We like to wear the same clothes sometimes, but we don't always like the same stuff."

"If you don't like something we pick out just tell us, okay?"

His unease was starting to diminish as he navigated around the aisles, picking up clothes along with the girls while Dean went off alone. He held up a blue flowered sundress and Mackenzie nodded, pulling the dress from his hand and tossing it into the cart. Meghan pointed toward the one with multi-colored flowers and when he handed it to her she hugged it close before tossing it into the cart as well.

He remembered going shopping with Jess a few times.

She had loved buying clothes for her niece and she used to laugh at Sam's horrible fashion sense, claiming he was the worst at matching outfits. Eventually he learned, having spent time watching her and taking the tips she jokingly supplied.

It had always made him long for the day he and Jess would have children of their own. He knew she would have been a wonderful mother because she was so great with kids, loved spending time with them whenever she had the chance. Now he longed just to have her back, have her here to share in moments such as this but that time had passed.

"Can we get this?"

He looked up to where the girls were standing, pointing toward a plaid skirt and he smiled. It was ridiculous how cute these outfits were and he couldn't deny the fact that he was enjoying it, especially when the girls seemed so happy.

"You both want the same one?" When they nodded he picked up the right size and put them in the cart before moving toward the shirts that went with the set.

He held up a pink shirt that he was sure matched the skirt and the girls nodded in agreement as he tossed two of them into the cart as well. The girls pulled him over toward another aisle, point toward a few shirts that were obviously from Disney movies. He let them pick out two each as he picked out a few pairs of leggings for them. He laughed at himself because he realized how protective he already was, how modest he was going to be by picking out leggings for them to wear under the skirt. They were only five but he had a feeling Dave would be making the same decision.

When the three of them finally found Dean, he had an arm full of little jeans and was looking out the shoe racks. Sam couldn't help but smile, realizing that his brother was rather good at and comfortable with this whole shopping thing after all. He watched as Dean picked Mackenzie up, flipping her upside down as she giggled and fought to get out of his hold. Dean looked at her shoes and then flipped her back up, tickling both her and Meghan as he set her back down.

Once they had two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of little flats and two pairs of flip flops, they headed out of the clothing departments. Sam was thankful that Dean had picked up the hard stuff, such as undergarments, that was sure to make Sam extremely uncomfortable.

They let the girls pick out two toys each and one stuffed animal. Sam knew they would come back in the near future and let them pick out more but for now that was enough.

"Can we get princess sheets for our new beds?"

Without a second though, both Sam and Dean nodded, flinching at the high pitched squeals they received in return. They guided the girls toward the linens department and let them both pick out their own bed sets. Bobby decided he would clean out the third bedroom upstairs and pick up two beds for the girls while they were out. Eventually they would let the girls decorate the room but for now the bed sheets were a start.

Just as they were about to head out of the aisle, Meghan pulled a pillow from the shelf and held it toward Dean.

"Can I get this?"

Sam watched Dean stare at it in confusion, though it was obvious to Sam why the little girl had picked it up. He chuckled quietly when Dean handed it back to her, his eyes shining with understanding even if his big brother didn't want to believe it.

"Why do you what that one? Wouldn't you rather one with a princess or how about the one shaped like a crown?"

"This one makes me think of you." She smiled as she hugged the Superman pillow close to her.

Dean's face lit up with a smile, eyes giving away the strong emotion he was feeling but Sam didn't say anything. He just watched as Dean knelt down and hugged both of the girls before tossing the pillow into the cart and heading out of the aisle.

They paid for their extremely large purchase, Sam trying to ignore the total as Dean slid his fake credit card through the touch pad. The girls were bouncing excitedly beside the cart, holding tight to the stuffed animals they had picked out.

When they got back to the truck, Dean tossed the bags into the large tool box that they had cleaned out earlier, making sure that all the weapons were hidden from the girls. Sam waited with the girls by the truck as Dean returned the cart, leaning heavily against the metal to take some weight off his sore ankle. The pain meds were obviously starting to wear off as his breathing was becoming more and more painful and his wrist and ankle were beginning to throb.

He was careful to hide his growing discomfort from the girls but when their tiny arms wrapped around his legs he couldn't help the wince that escaped. However, he cupped the back of their heads gently and watched as they squeezed him tightly before looking up at him with identical, dimpled smiles.

"Thank you!" They hugged his legs again and he wished he could bend down and give them a big hug but his injuries were making that impossible.

"You're welcome. Do you guys like the stuff you got?"

"Yes!"

He started to laugh as the girls listed their favorite things but his laughter broke off into a wince as his chest ached with the movement. Luckily Dean was there to take over, carefully lifting the girls back into the truck and helping Sam climb in as well.

It would only be a few more weeks until Sam would be rid of the bulking inconvenience of the walking cast, and hopefully by then his ribs will have healed nicely. He reluctantly accepted that, until then, he would have to rely on Dean's help and he was thankful that his brother seemed to understand that Sam needed the help, but he didn't need a shadow.

They were adjusting well to the added responsibility of the girls and he knew they were all enjoying it, even if they felt rather guilty about it. He also knew there was going to be a lot of obstacles ahead of them but he didn't doubt that they could get through it. Dean and him always made a great team and those girls found a permanent place in their lives, as well as hearts, so there was no way they would be giving up or failing.

They would make the best of this new twist in their lives and those girls would be well taken care of, probably over protected but definitely safe.

~*~*~

**1 Month Later**

Sam sat on the bench and watched as the girls chased each other through the playground equipment, simply enjoying the sound of their laughter and the bright smiles on their faces. It had been a tough road getting to this point, many late nights filled with nightmares that were no longer just his.

For the first two weeks, after the exhaustion and shock of the events had worn off, Sam was waking up every so often from his own horrific dreams only to be kept awake by the quiet whimpering from the room next door. He decided it would be him that comforted the girls, which had him hobbling into their room late at night, sitting beside either of them or sometimes both until they fell back asleep. He even sat on the floor between the beds on the nights when the dreams occurred so often that it didn't make sense for him to leave.

As the nights continued and the girls grew closer to him and Dean, Sam got up less and less. The nightmares continued but the girls started coming to Sam, curling up beside him in bed or calling for him to come lay with them in theirs. It wasn't something he even thought about and he wasn't even sure he realized when it happened, he just fell right into protecting them, making them feel safe.

He didn't miss the proud and nostalgic smiles Dean thought he was hiding.

"Sam!"

He jumped out of his thoughts as Mackenzie called his name from across the park, his ears trained to their voices. Before his eyes could adjust to the glare of sunshine he was presented with a lap full of five-year-olds.

The girls giggled and tickled at his sides as they wrestled to get free from his strong arms. He didn't have the heart to tell them that he wasn't ticklish so he always chuckled and squirmed as if their tiny fingers actually had an effect.

Finally they broke free and ran off toward the playground again. Sam quickly hopped up onto his feet and easily chased after the girls.

"I'm gonna get you two!" He caught up with them in a few strides and swiped both of them off their feet, holding one in each arm as if they actually were puppies. "Now what should I do with you guys?"

"Put us down you big goof!" Meghan fought to get the words out between giggles, her fingers trying once again to tickle at Sam and break his hold.

He gently let them drop into the mulch, both squealing as they darted away from him and ran off toward the other play set. Mackenzie missed the wood surrounding the mulched playground, tripping over the plank and falling hard onto her knee.

It took a few seconds for her to recover and Sam figured she didn't really know what happened until she sat up and looked down at her knee. He waited, holding his breath as she glanced down at her torn jeans and the bleeding gash until her teary eyes looked back up at Sam and she let the dam break.

The first cry startled Sam and he jumped into action, hurrying over to the girls and crouching down in front of Mackenzie with Meghan beside him. They didn't have a med kit with them, which Sam was definitely starting to regret, but they were only a few minutes from Bobby's and the gash really wasn't that deep at all.

"It's nothing but a scratch." He cupped her tiny face in his large hands and gently brushed her tears away as she hiccupped on her sobs. "What you say we head home and get you all fixed up?"

When Mackenzie nodded he carefully pulled her up into his arms, her face buried in his neck, and headed out of the park with Meghan's hand in his. He knew by the time they reached Bobby's the sore would already have stopped bleeding but he also knew that it was hurting Mackenzie and the sooner they got it clean and bandaged, the better she would feel.

He hurried along dragging Meghan with him as the three closed the distance between them and Bobby's. Meghan was exhausted when they finally turned onto the long, empty road that was much different than the bright, pleasant school grounds they had just visited, even if Bobby had tried to make his yard and house look more presentable since the girls had been staying with them.

Sam smiled down at Meghan in apology as he pulled her up onto the porch and pushed open the door. He didn't bother looking around as he guided the girls into the kitchen, setting Mackenzie down on top of the counter and placing Meghan beside her.

"See," He lifted Mackenzie's already healing knee and kissed right above the sore. "It was just a little scratch."

Mackenzie smiled and Meghan wrapped her arm around her sister as Sam dug the med kit out from under the sink. He watched as Mackenzie leaned into Meghan's hold, taking the comfort her sister offered when Sam carefully applied the ointment to the gash and then covered it with a plain bandage.

Once he was finished he placed a hand on the side of each of their faces and kissed them both on their forehead before helping them hop off the counter. When he turned around to head out of the kitchen he came face to face with his brother.

Dean gave the three of them a forced smile before it dropped and Sam saw the brief sadness that his brother didn't even realize he had let show.

"What's wrong, man?"

Dean shook his head and motioned over his shoulder before turning away from them and walking out the back door. The girls looked up at Sam in confusion but eagerly pulled on him to follow Dean.

He heard the familiar voice as they pushed through the door but when his eyes finally fell on the scarred face he felt his heart drop in both excitement and sadness.

"Daddy!"

**To Be Continued..**

_So there's my little cliffhanger.  
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter even if it was a bit slow. I couldn't help myself from writing those scenes but I really hope they weren't too boring.  
I promise that that next chapter contains a lot of explanation with a heavy dose of cuteness!_

_Thanks a bunch for all the awesome reviews! You guys never cease to make me smile with all your kind words so, thank you!  
There's one more chapter left but I don't know if I can let it end there or not. I've enjoyed this story so much so we'll see. _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** This story is for the lovely _gidgetgal9 _who won a fic from me at Kazcon. The proceeds went toward a donation to _National Lung Cancer Partnership in recognition of Kim Manners_. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of it even if I couldn't make it to the convention. Thanks to _sendintheclowns_ and_ blueeyedliz_for their support and beta and thanks to _gidgetgal9_for biding on me! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. **p.s.** I didn't intentionally name the girls after Jared's and Jensen's sisters. it just happened that way =).

**See chapter one for warnings and summary. **

~*~*~

The noise could be heard blocks away and as they made it closer, Dean was really starting to regret letting Sam talk him out of investing in ear plugs. He knew he would definitely be leaving with a massive headache and this time it wouldn't be from too many beers.

He held the bulky package closer as they made their way up the porch and Sam eagerly rang the doorbell, though Dean doubted anyone inside could hear it. Surprisingly the door flew open in seconds, the noise becoming even louder, if possible.

"I'm so glad you're here!"

"Need some help, Dave?" Dean laughed at the older man as he happily pulled each of them into a strong hug. "Can't handle a bunch of little kids?"

"You have no idea."

The three of them laughed, pushing their way past Dave and into the crowded house. Dean and Sam put their presents onto the table and Dean felt rather proud that theirs were most definitely the largest, they even had princess wrapping paper. His brother had of course been the one to pick out the paper only because Dean refused to be seen buying princess paper.

They dodged their way through the children running around their legs and Dean tried to keep from checking out the mothers, though he wasn't doing a very good job. He saw the one standing against the wall, long dark hair with green eyes and two very large breasts but he kept on walking even when she smiled at him, which was definitely a seductive smile if ever he'd seen one.

"Dean," He took a deep breath nodded at his brother as he followed him out of the living room and into the kitchen. "Don't even think about."

"Shut up, Sammy."

Dave and Bobby were standing by the counter, both staring out the back window at the group of girls chasing each other around the swing set. Dean smiled when he caught a glimpse of the girls, their curly red hair even longer since the last time he saw them.

It hadn't been easy letting them go but Dean was happy that the small family was reunited; glad that Dave had beat the odds and made it back home. The girls had been thrilled to see their father but were just as reluctant to leave Bobby's as Dean and Sam were of letting them go.

The family stayed at Bobby's for a few days as Dave got back on his feet, recovering from his injuries and the trauma of the long month he had away from his girls. He told the other hunters how he had been thrown through a window and collided with the porch. The collision had only knocked him out for a few moments but when he came to, the house was engulfed in flames and the porch was beginning to warp so he rushed off into the fields as quickly as his body would allow him.

His face had been scared from the explosion, along with his neck and arms but besides that he was lucky to have made it out with a broken arm and a concussion. He told them how he had tried to search for them, tried to find his way back to the cars in hopes that they had made it out but he was unable to get very far as his injuries took a toll and he ended up on the ground.

Dean had felt rather guilty at the information, realizing if they had only stayed around longer he would have realized that it had been Dave found in the fields and not Williams. Of course none of them knew all the answers but they could assume that Williams hadn't listened and decided to continue his hunt for the demon. Seemed Williams had gone in at the wrong time and was taken out by the blast that they had assumed took Dave.

It didn't matter if Dean had wished for it when they first heard the news, he was still sorry that the other man had lost his life. Williams was a hunter and Dean could respect that, but if it had to be him or Dave, Dean was extremely thankful it hadn't been Dave who had been killed.

Since Dave hadn't had any ID on him and was unsure of their location, he had told the authorities he didn't remember or know anything about what happened. Authorities assumed he had amnesia from the hit to the head and had not questioned him any further. Dave snuck out a day later, once his injuries were taken care but he hadn't left the area.

If Dave wasn't standing with them, drinking beer and watching his girls enjoy their party, Dean would have killed him for the stupid decision to stick around Minnesota and finish a hunt only he knew wasn't finished. The ritual had been cut short due to the explosion and Dave had known the demon would have fled the host but had not been sent back to Hell.

He stuck around and continued to follow omens until the demon figured him out and paid him a visit in his motel room. Luckily that was part of Dave's stupid plan and the older man had trapped the demon, finally sending it back to hell where it belonged.

That's when Dave had finally showed at Bobby's, thanking them over and over for taking care of his daughters but not realizing just how much they had enjoyed it, Sam especially. Dean knew it had been extremely hard for his brother to turn over responsibility but he also knew his brother was pleased that the girls had their father back; knew the importance of family staying together.

When it came time to say goodbye, Dean remembered Sam shuffling into the living room and sitting himself on the couch as the girls finished packing all their stuff. Dean had watched his brother stare off into space, the light he had seen the previous weeks had started to dim already.

The girls had stomped down the stairs with their stuff dragging behind them but stopped suddenly when they noticed Sam. Dean had backed away and given them room as they barreled onto the couch, knocking Sam back with the force of their small bodies.

"Why are you sad?" Meghan had reached up and touched Sam's cheek, her smile never falling as she stared into his eyes.

Dean remembered expecting his brother to try and hide his emotions; to cover them up with a quick lie as to not upset the girls but Sam had surprised him. Instead, Sam lowered his head and wrapped the girls into a tight hug, both of them easily relaxing against his chest.

When Dave had appeared beside Dean, he had been worried the moment would be broken up but the girls' father stayed silent, smiling as he watched the scene as well.

"I'm going to miss you guys." Sam had whispered and Dean knew his brother was keeping his voice low to try and keep it from breaking with emotion.

"But we're not going anywhere."

"You're going back home."

"But it's not far." Mackenzie smiled as she turned toward Dave and Dean who nodded in confirmation. "You can come and visit us all the time. You can take us to the park and maybe you can even come see our plays in school, we do a lot of them."

Dean had laughed when he turned toward Dave and saw the father roll his eyes at the mention of school plays. He remembered seeing Sam smile and loosen his grip on the girls as his brother lifted his head and kissed them each on the cheek.

"Will you come to our birthday party?" Meghan had sat down on Sam's lap and looked up with eyes that rivaled Sam's puppy dog look.

Sam had laughed and hugged them both close one last time, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Dean remembered seeing the grateful smile on Dave's face when the man finally took his eyes off the girls and turned toward Dean, hand extended. He took Dave's hand and shook it firmly before pulling the older man into a hug.

"I'm glad you made it out okay."

Dave pulled back with a wider smile and patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks for taking care of my girls. I owe you guys."

"No you don't, but don't think you're getting rid of us either."

"I didn't think so."

That had been the last time they'd seen the girls and Dave, though the girls called frequently to update Sam and Dean on silly things. The light in Sam's eyes had gotten brighter with each phone call and when the invitation arrived two months later, Dean knew there was no chance any of them were saying no.

He and Sam had returned to hunting a week after the girls left but they both knew that they would drop anything to see those girls. Neither of them was going to be settling down anytime soon to have a family of their own but those girls were the next best thing.

They made sure they finished their hunt on time and made it to Bobby's the day before. Then they were up early that morning to make the four hour drive to Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

"Sam!"

Dean returned to the present as the high pitch squeals rang through the kitchen. The girls slid across the kitchen floor and happily wrapped themselves around Sam's legs before his brother laughed and knelt down to their level. He opened his arms wide and the girls threw themselves at him once again, their tiny arms tight around his chest.

"Happy birthday!"

They pulled back from Sam with a loud 'thank you' before the both grabbed one of his hands and tried to pull him with them. Sam laughed as he almost lost his balance but was thankfully able to stand up before the girls pulled him to the floor. Seconds later Mackenzie and Meghan dragged Sam out of the kitchen and into another room, the excited chatter slowly fading into the distance.

"They really missed you guys." Dave said with a smile.

"The feeling is definitely mutual."

The kitchen fell slightly after that and Dean watched Dave closely, noticing as the other man's smile faded into a concerned frown. He also noticed that Dave was staring at him and Dean felt himself growing concern.

"I need to talk to you about something, Dean."

He frowned as Dave motioned for him to take a seat at the table, Bobby sitting down beside him as the three fell into an awkward silence again. The anticipation was killing him but Dean was starting to think he didn't want to hear what Dave had to say, didn't want to ruin the happiness that had somehow become a part of the Winchesters' lives for once.

Dean watched Dave look around, making sure no one was too close before he sat down and spoke quietly.

"The demon told me some things before the explosion and I learned more once I trapped it." Dave folded his hands atop the table and kept his head bowed. "I knew some stuff before which is why the demon targeted my family. It said I was getting too close."

"Too close to what?"

"Finding out why demons want my daughters."

"What?" Dean slid his chair back and stood up, pacing around the table nervously and trying to keep his voice low. "Why would demons want your girls? Is it the same demon that wants Sam?"

"You knew?" Dave looked up at him in shock and Dean stopped pacing, nodding his head slowly as he sat back down.

"We figured some stuff out right before my Dad…" He shrugged his shoulders and raised a hand to his mouth, biting at the tips of his fingers. "But that demon killed our Mom. My dad had been hunting it for years."

"Before we got married, my wife told me about a deal she had made."

"With a demon?"

"Yes, Dean. She was worried I wouldn't believe her, I wasn't a hunter back then, and at first I didn't but then I let her explain. That's how I got into hunting; I tried to hunt the thing down before the deal came due."

"But you never found it?"

"Oh I found it," Dave lowered his head again. "I found it but had nothing to kill it with. Didn't matter anyway since the damn thing didn't hold the contract, it was just the deal maker. Apparently it was working for a higher demon, helping him with his dirty work."

"Yellow eyes had partners?" Dean turned to Bobby but the older man shrugged.

"Yellow eyes? The demon had yellow eyes?" When Dean nodded Dave continued. "It had to be a pretty powerful demon then. Its plans… do you know its plans for Sam?"

"No," He moved to the edge of his chair, his hands fisted on top of the table. "Did the demon tell you?"

Dave shook his head, "All I know is he's a big player. They need him for something huge."

"Well they can't have him."

"They won't get him, Dean." Bobby placed a calming hand on Dean's shoulder but was focused on Dave. "What did this have to do with the girls?"

"There are children like them, all of them, Sam and the girls."

"We've met some of them but they were all Sam's age."

"Different generations," Dave stood up this time, running a hand through his short hair. "My wife made a deal to save her best friend. The friend died in a car accident because she had been driving drunk and my wife blamed herself for it, said she let her friend leave the bar. Anyways, my wife made a deal at the hospital and the demon gave her ten years. We got married 4 years after that and had the girls a few months later. Last year the deal came due and the demon took my wife, I couldn't stop it."

"So the demon who made the deal was working for Yellow Eyes which meant the deal was worth more than your wife thought."

"The demon told my wife that her children would thank her for the deal, but my wife hadn't thought anything of it, neither did I until I caught the demon at the farm." Dave sat back down with a tired sigh. "It told me my girls were going to be a big help to hell someday. Then it told me the big shot demon had many children like the girls and Sam, soldiers on earth that would rise to the cause when the time came. I won't let my girls be a part of that. We have to stop it."

"We will, Dave." Dean wasn't sure if they could but he knew Bobby, Dave and himself, as well as Sam, would die trying. "I won't let them have Sam, or the girls, but it's not going to be easy."

"I didn't think it would," Dave gave a sad, tired smile. "But I'm glad to have you two fighting with me. I couldn't do it by myself."

They fell silent for a few moments, Dean's thoughts running wildly as he soaked in all the information Dave had given him. Most of it he already knew but it worried him that Yellow Eyes had such interest in Sam, it made it difficult to forget what his father had told him. Dean wouldn't let it get that far though because he was going to save Sam no matter what and he knew his brother would feel the same when it came to the girls.

"Should we tell, Sam?"

"No," Dean shook his head and held up his hand at Bobby's protest. "I want to tell him myself but it can wait till after today. Let him enjoy his time with the girls."

"He's good with them."

"He loves them," Dean smiled. "And I know he'll protect them no matter what it takes, just as I would for him. This demon doesn't stand a chance."

"Thank you."

Dean nodded to Dave and then turned to Bobby with a smile, "What's family for?"

The older men laughed, though Dean didn't miss the happiness and gratitude that both tried to cover. They were hunters and their experiences may have worn them down, changed them, but also brought them closer, connected them. Dean didn't trust many people, nor did he like other hunters, but Dave and Bobby were different. They were his family now and Dean was okay with that, especially since his family now included two amazing twin girls with smiles that light up any room, much like his little brother.

The sound of pounding feet brought them out of their own thoughts as the girls ran back into the kitchen, followed by Sam and a bunch of other little girls. They tugged at Dave's hand with their pleading eyes and pulled him out of his chair and over to the fridge.

Dave laughed and tickled them both before telling them to go sit at the table while he got their cakes ready. Mackenzie ran over to Dean and climbed into his lap as Meghan and Sam sat down in Dave's seat. The girls bounced excitedly as their father and Bobby, put the candles on the cake, lit them and then carried them over to the table.

Dean assumed there were two cakes because the girls couldn't agree but when he saw the superman figure on the cake in front of him, his heart swelled. He pulled Mackenzie closer to him and kissed her cheek as everyone sang a very off tune 'Happy Birthday' to the girls before they blew out the candles.

"They picked the cakes out themselves, said they were special." Dave smiled as he bent over and kissed Mackenzie on the forehead and then moved over to do the same to Meghan.

Mackenzie turned herself around and got onto her knees so that she was face to face with Dean, "They are special, just like you and Sam. We know you don't really like princesses either."

Dean glared at Sam when his brother burst out in laughter but Dean couldn't help but smile himself as he hugged Mackenzie close once again. He watched Sam do the same with Meghan, enjoying the fact that both Sam and Meghan looked extremely happy as the two cut away at piece of the Sleeping Beauty cake.

"Oh!" Suddenly it hit Dean and he laughed out loud at the startled glances everyone in the room gave him. "Prince Philip is from Sleeping Beauty? So Aurora is the princess? She's Sleeping Beauty?"

Everyone was staring at him and he sunk back in his chair, cheeks red with embarrassment. Finally the silence broke and everyone started laughing, even if most didn't understand what was going on.

"Duh, Dean." Mackenzie and Meghan shook their heads as they laughed.

Sam smirked at him when the laughter died down and the two of them finished cutting the cake, handing them to Dave who distributed them around to the guests. The girls sat with them as they dug into the cake, which will forever be Dean's favorite part of birthdays, and chatted happily about all the presents they were hoping to get.

Dean looked up at Sam, both trying to hide their smiles when the girls told them just how much they really wanted a big doll house for their Barbies. It hadn't been hard to figure out considering how much they'd mentioned it when they had called to talk to him and Sam. The girls didn't have to know they bought them using fake credit cards because all that mattered was that Mackenzie was getting a purple doll house and Meghan a pink one.

"Dean," He looked up at his brother who was pointing at his own chin. "You have a little icing on your face."

Dean rubbed at his chin but realized, just as the girls and Sam started laughing again, that he hadn't had icing on his face until he touched his icing covered hand to his face. Apparently he hadn't paid much attention to how close his hand got to the cake, but his brother sure had.

He glared at Sam but once again couldn't deny the fact that he enjoyed the sound of his brother's laughter, especially when it was accompanied with the girls' giggles. Instead he picked up his fork, getting just a bit of icing and cake on it before he flicked it toward his brother, making it into Sam's hair with perfect aim.

The girls squealed with laughter and soon Bobby and Dave were joining them as Sam annoyingly tried to get the icing out, only managing to spread it in more. Eventually Sam gave up and glared at Dean before the smile once again returned to his face.

Dean could forget about demons and special children because when he looked at his brother, sitting at the table with Meghan and Mackenzie, he knew he was going to make sure nothing ever ruined what they had. He and Sam always had a family and they would never stop loving their father and mother but now that it was just the two of them, Dean was content to allow others into their circle. He hadn't thought it back then, but the demon that took the girls and hurt Sam, had done them all a favor and brought them close together.

Happiness finally found its way into their lives in the shape of two small girls with curly red hair, bright hazel eyes and cute little freckles around their noses. There's no way Dean or Sam were letting them go.

**The End**

_So I'm a sucker for a happy ending.__It's funny how many of you were so upset that the father was back lol. No worries though, the boys aren't out of their lives yet.  
__They're like Uncles now and Bobby taught them a lot about being a good uncle right?  
__This has been such a fun story and I'm overwhelmed by the awesome response I received so thank you all so very much!__  
As I said earlier, I don't think I'm done with this yet. There's so many cute ficlets to be written.  
I'm always up for suggestions and ideas as well as if anyone thinks it should just end there. I don't want the story to overstay its welcome.  
Thanks again for sticking with it and for leaving me such nice comments! And Thanks again to __**Gidgetgal9**__ for the chance to write her this fun story!  
I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!_

_**P.S.**__ I'm hosting a __**Monthly Sam Love contest**__ over at__** Summer_Sam_Love**__ community on LiveJournal so if anyone is interested in joining in, I'd love to see you all there! It's not just about Sam because we all recognize that Dean is who makes Sam, Sammy. I have just been annoyed with all the Sam hate I've read lately and felt the need to spread love instead. It's open to __**authors, vidders **__and __**artists**__. Entries don't have to be long at all, just something that satisfies the prompt (which is very broad) and celebrates the good in Sam. All entries are due by Sunday March, 28th and then voting will begin for the winner in each category! That's my self pimp but I'm excited and it would be great if some of you decided to participate! It's all fun so even if you've never written a fic or made a graphic, you should give it a try, you may find out you really love it! It's a friendly, gen, community so come on over =)._


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